t  tut  mwiowtt  * 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Collection  of  Puritan  Literature. 


;ccl 


Divisu  n 

Section  //      j      I 

Number 


THE 


ANTI-UNIVERSALIST, 

OR 

HISTORY 

OF  THE 

FALLEN  ANGELSOFTHESCRIPTURES 

PROOFS 

OF  THE 

BEING  OF  SATAN  AND  OF  EVIL  SPIRITS, 


MANY  OTHER  CURIOUS  MATTERS  CONNECTED  THEREWITH. 

y 

BY  JOSIAH  PRIEST, 

HOR  OF  THE  MILLENIUM,    AMERICAN   ANTIQUITIES,    ETC. 


EMBELLISHED   WITH   TWELVE  ENGRAVINGS. 


PART  I. 


ALBANY: 

PRINTED  BY  J.  MUNSELL,  55  STATE  STREET. 
1839. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/antistOOprie 


PREFACE 


No  subject  that  lias  been  agitated  since  man  was  created,  can 
be  said  to  have  engaged  the  attention  of  all  people,  as  that  of  re- 
ligion, whether  among  Pagan  or  Christian  nations.  That  it  is 
thus,  is,  however,  perfectly  natural  ;  because  it  claims  to  involve 
the  interests  of  man,  relative  to  both  time  and  eternity,  as  univer- 
sally allowed.  In  all  ages,  and  under  all  circumstances,  religion, 
whether  handed  down  from  father  to  son  by  tradition,  or  from  God 
by  inspiration,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  has  ever  pre- 
sented to  notice  two  beings,  who  are  shown  as  opposed  to  each 
other  in  their  natures  and  pursuits.  These  two  beings  are  known, 
or  spoken  of,  by  the  terms  Jehovah,  and  Satan  ;  the  good  and  the 
evil  being,  in  Jewish  and  Christian  countries  ;  while  in  other  parts 
of  the  earth,  are  equally  acknowledged,  if  not  thus  named — differ- 
ing only  as  languages  differ,  but  conveying  the  same  ideas. 

Jehovah  is  represented  as  being  infinitely  good,  and  as  having 
innumerable  hosts  of  spiritual  beings,  or  angels  of  a  supernatural 
character,  who  act  in  his  universal  providence,  among  the  works  of 
his  hands  ;  not  only  in  this,  but  in  all  worlds,  as  agents,  exerting  a 
benign  and  protecting  influence  : — while  the  other,  namely,  Satan, 
is  also  shown  as  having  under  his  supervision  hosts  of  spirits,  or 
angels,  of  a  supernatural  character,  but  of  malevolent  natures,  who 
act  in  the  way  of  both  moral  and  physical  ruin,  so  far  as  in  their 
power  in  opposition  to  God. 

These  two  beings  are  acknowledged  by  all  religions,  in  all  coun- 
tries, and  in  all  ages,  under  various  names,  ideas  and  attributes  ; 
and  were  likely  to  have  thus  remained  in  opposition  to  each  other, 
a  while  longer — even  to  the  end  of  the  world — had  not  the  Univer- 
salis! sect  of  religion  arisen,  who  it  seems  are  determined  that  one 
of  these  beings  shall  exist  no  longer — putting  their  veto  upon  the 
judgment  of  all  past  ages,  and  inspiration  to  boot. 

This  most  important  of  all  subjects,  namely,  religion,  has  both  by 
tradition  from  remotest  antiquity,  and  from  the  Bible,  ever  pre- 
sented its  sanctions,  as  existing  or  taking  place  in  another  world,  err 


lv-  PREFACE. 

after  death  ;  and  lias  qualified  those  sanctions,  in  dooming  the  bad, 
who  pass  out  of  this  life  having  that  character,  to  a  state  of  unutter- 
able wo  :  while  on  the  contrary,  the  good,  sustaining  that  character 
when  they  change  worlds,  enter  into  a  state  of  rapturous  and  cease- 
less happiness — a  trait  of  jurisprudence  in  the  government  of  God, 
seemingly  well  suited  to  restrain  over  acts  and  injurious  behaviour 
among  his  subjects,  so  far  as  threatened  coercion  can  have  such  an 
effect ;  and  likewise  to  encourage  the  practice  of  virtue. 

But  there  has  arisen,  out  of  the  great  sea  of  religious  opinions, 
in  these  latter  days,  a  sect,  namely,  the  Universalists,  who  deny 
not  only  the  being  of  this  one  Satan,  and  his  coadjutors  or  associate 
evil  spirits  ;  but  the  whole  of  the  penal  sanctions  of  this  great  sub- 
ject, religion,  as  being  inflicted,  or  as  existing  after  this  life,  not- 
withstanding the  Scriptures  seem  to  be  against  them — the  text  of 
which  they  acknowledge — whose  influence  we  will  not  deny  is  very 
great,  and  pervades  all  ranks  of  people,  all  communions  of  Chris- 
tians, far  more  than  is  commonly  supposed,  and  is  exerted  against 
the  doctrines  of  the  orthodox  sects,  and  as  we  believe  the  Bible  itself. 

The  object  of  this  work  therefore  is  to  examine  the  Bible  in  re] 
lation  to  the  claims  of  either  side  to  the  truth.  We  have  from 
childhood  heard  of  the  existence  of  a  devil,  or  Satan,  from  books, 
the  Bible,  in  prayers,  sermons,  and  conversation  on  the  subject  of 
religion,  as  if  there  could  be  710  doubt  of  it — and  also  of  evil  spirits, 
and  yet  we  have  never  met  with  any  attempt  to  examine  this  trait 
of  theology,  as  we  have  the  rest,  the  being  of  a  God,  the  existence 
of  a.  hell,  a  day  of  judgment,  &c.  :  ice  have  therefore  undertaken  to 
give  our  opinion  of  this  belief — the  being  of  Satan  and  evil  spirits. 

In  traversing  the  subject,  we  of  necessity  have  been  compelled  to 
clip  into  many  curious  things  connected  with  our  main  one,  yet  we 
have  aimed  so  to  manage  it  as  not  to  debate  disputed  topics  with 
any  of  the  orthodox  orders,  endeavoring  to  maintain  all  the  great 
and  leading  features  of  their  faith  ;  while  we  combat  only  with  the 
■doctrines  of  Universalists  ;  who,  in  our  opinion,  pervert  the  whole 
design  of  the  Scriptures  by  their  dogmas.  The  course  we  have 
pursued  in  this  work  has  been  to  avoid  prolixity,  aiming  to  furnish 
ready  and  short  arguments  against  Universalist  sentiments,  for  the 
use  of  the  rising  generation,  and  such  as  scarcely  know  what  to 
believe,  having  not  much  considered  the  matter  ;  believing  we  have 
done  what  we  can  in  this  work  to  counteract  the  influence  of  those 
principles,  we  ho-pe  for  support  and  patronage,  therefore 


PREFACE.  V. 

Wo  do  not  hesitate  to  express  a  belief  that  we  have  advanced 
much  curious  matter  on  many  curious  subjects,  worthy  the  reader's 
attention,  which  are  doubtless  calculated  to  induce  thought  and  elicit 
conversation,  and  lead  men  to  read  the  Bible,  which,  in  reality, 
contains  more  useful  and  wonderful  information,  than  all  the  books 
of  mankind  put  together. 

The  nature  of  the  subjects,  upon  which  we  have  treated  in  this 
work,  are  of  necessity,  such  as  are  denominted  the  terrible;  but 
on  this  account,  we  hope  it  will  not  be  rejected,  while  we  remember 
thai  it  is  written  by  St.  Paul:  (2d  Cor.  v.  11,)  "Knoicing  the 
TERROR  of  the  Lord,  ice  persuade  men."  With  this  view,  there- 
fore, namely,  to  persuade  men  to  read  the  Bible,  and  the  more 
earnestly  to  examine  it,  to  arouse  the  attention  of  men  to  the  sub- 
jects we  have  treated  upon,  and  to  check — according  to  our  ability, 
Universalist  opinions,  in  their  overflow  of  the  land, — we  set  it 
afloat  on  the  sea  of  public  opinion,  asking  the  favor  of  a  wide 
•dispersion  of  the  work,  and  of  its  being  thoroughly  read  and  com- 
pared with  the  Scriptures — having  with  respect  to  these  objects,  the 
good  wishes,  at  least,  of 

THE  AUTHOR, 


i  \  I )  E  X  T  O  P  A  H  T  F I R  S  T 


Genesis,  third  chapter,  examined  in  relation  to  the  original 
meaning  of  the  word  Serpent;  and  inquiry  as  to  ichat  kind  of  animal 
it  was  which  Satan  made  use  of  to  beguile  the  first  woman — was  it  u 
Snake,  or  was  it  the  Orang  oiitang  ?  with  a  full  account  of  the  latter 
kind  of  animal 9 

Arguments  and  traditions,  which,  in  the  estimation  of  many, 
go  to  support  the  ideathat  a  Sjiake  was  the  animal  of  the  text  of  Moses, 
by  which  Eve  was  deceived  ;  with  a  full  account  of  several  specimens 
of  this  kind  of  animal,  a  reptile,  as  known  to  the  ancients 26 

The  manner  in  which  serpents  moved  over  the  ground  before 
the  curse,  according  to  a  certain  ancient  author ;  with  a  full  account  of 
the  serpent- worship  of  the  ancients  ;  and  of  the  capture  and  size  of  one 
of  the  largest  description,  by  the  Egyptians.  •  • 31 

Strictures  on  Mr.  Balfour's  opinions  against  the  existence  of 
any  animal  whatever,  as  used  by  Satan,  in  the  beguiling  of  the  first 
woman  ;  with  other  subjects 47 

Strictures  on  Mr.  Balfour's  opinions,  respecting  orthodox 
Christians  having  derived  many  opinions  from  the  ancient  Persians,  or 
the  writings  of  Zoroaster  ;  with  other  subjects &7 

Origin  of  Satan,  and  cause  of  sin  ;  with  many  other  curious 
matters  :  as  of  the  first  creative  acts  of  God  ;  whether  matter  is  eternal 
or  not ;  with  proofs  of  the  necessary  and  uribeginning  existence  of  God  ; 
whether  mind  is  produced  from  organization  ;  whether  God  was  active 
prev'wtts  to  his  first  creative  act;  and  whether  mind  or  matter  was  first 
created  ;  the  heaven  of  the  angels  ;  its  location  ;  where,  &c  ;  have  any 
other  worlds  of  the  universe  sinned  besides  this  on  which  we  dwell? 
a  query  of  the  author  of  the  Age  of  Reason,  against  Christianity,  an- 
swered, &c 60 

Condition  of  the  first  spirits  ;  proofs  that  they  were  made  in  a 
great  variety  of  orders  ;  cause  of  the  being  of  Satan,  &c 85 

Further  examinations  of  the  same  subjects  ;  with  enquiries 
whether  the  angels  of  the  Scriptures  were  men  or  spirits;  the  latter  of 
which,  by  some   Universalists,  is  denied, 91 

Supposed  voyages  of  the  angels,  or  spirits,  out  from  their 
heaven  into  the  ocean  of  space,  before  anything  else  waa  created ; 
naturs  of  mind  ;  of  frco  agency ;  strictures  on  Universalists'  opinions 
respecting  free  agentfy  ;  with  many  other  curious  matters, 164 


INDEX. 

Proofs  of  the  fall  of  the  angels;  refutation  of  several  propo- 
sitions of  Balfour,  which  accuses  the  orthodox  sects  of  deriving  thoir 
peculiar  opinions  fiom  tho  writings  of  Zoroaster,  the  Persian  ;  of  the  sin 
of  Eve;  with  strictures  on  the  Universalis  opinion,  that  all  the  deed 
there  was  which  misled  Eve  was  her  lusls  ;   with  other  curious  matters,       124 

Fall  of  the  angels;  and  cause  of  Satan's  being,  still  further 
examined;  Hod  revealed  to  the  angels;  his  reasons  for  creating  free 
agents,  though  he  foreknew  thai  some  would  sin, 138 

Mode  of  the  trial  or  probation  of  the  angels,  long  before  the 
world  was  mado ;  and  an  account  of  those  who  fell  in  that  trial ;  the 
argument  which  was  carried  on  between  Michael  and  Lucifer,  (both 
good  angels  at  that  time,)  constituting  what  is  called  in  Scripture  a  war 
in  heaven  ;  and  by  what  means  this  war  was  onded  ;  their  first  discovery 
of  creation,  &c 144 

Respecting  Lucifer,  son  of  the  morning  ;  who  and  what  ho 
was,  as  spoken  of  by  Isaiah  the  prophet  ;  whether  the  king  of  Babylon 
or  Satan  the  fallen  angel, 167 

What  became  of  the  wicked  angels  after  their  fall ;  is  there 
a  located  hell  or  not  in  another  world  ;  and  is  there  yet  to  come  a  day 
of  particular  and  general  judgment  1  with  further  proofs  of  the  existence 
of  a  devil  and  evil  spirits;  with  strictures  on  the  Universalist  opinion, 
lhat  the  ruining  the  Jews  by  the  Romans  was  the  day  of  judgment 
spoken  of  in  the  New  Testament ;  with  other  curious  matters, 171 

The  famous  text,  by  which  Universalists  think  they  prove 
that  the  worst  hell  there  is  in  existence  is  in  this  life,  examined  ;  and  is 
found  Psalms,  Ixxxvi.  13  ;  with  other  interesting  subjects, •  • .        20o 

Respecting  whether  other  worlds  may  have  been  destroyed 
in  ages  past,  by  fire,  as  this  is  to  be  ;  with  proofs  of  such  occurrences, 
according  to  the  archives  of  astronomy, 215 


INDEX   TO   PART   SECOND 

Account  of  the  operation  of  Satan,  with  the  heads  of  our 
raCe — Adam  and  Eve  ;  with  further  evidence  of  the  real  existence  of 
Satan  and  evil  spirits,— with  strictures  on  the  Universalist  belief,  that 
the  lusls  of  human  nature — its  diseases — tho  idols  of  the  heathen,  &c, 
are  all  the  devils  there  are  in  existence;  with  other  curious  matters, 
about  the  fall  of  our  first  parents 257 

What  would  have  been  the  condition  of  Eve,  if  when  she  had 
broken  the  law  about  the  forbidden  tree,  and  offered  its  fruit  to  Adam, 
if  he  had  not  received  it;  and  what  would  have  been  the  condition  of 
our  rac»,  urder  Bjch  a  y.ew  of  the  SJibjeci 246 


Vlli  INDEX. 

Further  proofs  of  the  being  of  Satan,  and  of  his  real  identity, 
as  shown  from  the  book  of  Job,  and  other  Scriptures ;  with  further 
strictures  about  the  lusts  of  Eve,  before  she  had  sinned — according  to 
Universalists ;  and  other  curious  matters 24$ 

Further  evidence  still,  of  the  real  existence  of  Satan,  and  evil 
angels — shown  from  the  text  of  the  New  Testament — his  operation 
against  the  Saviour,  and  possession  of  many  people — and  of  their  being 
cast  out  of  them,  &c;  with  stiicfures  on  the  Universalis!  belief,  that 
the  carnal  mind  is  one  of  the  devils  of  human  nature,  &c ^.  .        264 

Further  accounts  of  the  being  of  Satan;  with  proofs  that  the 
world  is  to  be  destroyed  by  fire ,  &c 279 

The  subject  of  rewards  and  punishments — whether  awarded 
in  this  life,  or  in  another;  a  guilty  conscience  purgatory — as  held  by 
Universalists — examined  ;  the  deaths  of  St.  Paul  and  Voltaire  con- 
trasted ;  of  a  day  of  judgment  to  come,  &c  ;  with  strictures  on  Univer- 
salist  opinions,  about  the  penal  fire  of  the  New  Testament;  with  other 
subjects,  kc. .' 287 

An  enquiry,  how  Satan,  and  evil  spirits  were  worshiped  in 
ancient  times — with  proofs  that  they  were  worshiped, — and  even  in 
modern  times 318 

An  enquiry  as  to  the  original  cause  of  diseases  and  death  ; 

are  they  of  God  or  of  Satan  1  with  other  curious  matters, 328 

On  the  subjects  of  evil  spirits — the  opinions  of  the  Jews  on 
this  subject — of  Simon  Magus,  and  the  Gnostics;  evil  spirits  cast  out  of 
many  who  were  possessed ;  of  the  wonderful  consequences  which 
followed 334 

Miscellaneous  strictures  and  remarks  on  the  subjects  of  Uni- 
versalist  doctrines  and  opinions 862 

On  the  subject  of  the  forms  or  shapes  of  good  and  evil  spirits, 
and  of  the  human  soul  when  disembodied  ;  with  conjectures  how  evil 
spirits  get  the  possession  of  human  beings, 404 

Attributes  of  Satan,  and  evil  spirits   414 

Evidence  of  Polycarp,  the  Martyr,  against  Universalists,  in 
relation  to  a  hell  after  death 417 

Proofs  of  the  immortality  of  the  human  soul,  or  that  it  does 
not  die  or  sleep,  from  death  till  the  resurrection — as  held  by  some  Uni- 
versalists,         418 


TO  THE  SUBSCRIBER. 

ft?"  Although  the  Index  does  not  particularise  all  we  have  allu- 
ded to  in  the  allusions  of  the  Prospectus,  yet  we  have  treated  on 
all  the  promised  subjects,  and  many  more. 


HISTORY  OF  TUE  FALLEN  ANGELS,  &C. 


PART  FIRST. 


That  there  exists  a  supernatural  being,  designated  by  the 
original  term,  and  name,  Satan,  is  believed  by  all  the  Christian 

its,  denominated  orthodox;  yet  we  do  not  find  among  the 
great  number  of  this  description  of  Christians  any  belief  extant 
of  the  existence  of  but  one  such  being  ;  while  it  is  held  by  them 
that  there  are  many  evil  spirits  or  supernatural  demons,  who  are 
inferior  in  mental  ability,  and  sul  ordinate  to  this  one  Satan  ;  who 
before  he  full,  was  one  of  the  only  two  archangels,  of  all  the  intel- 
lectual powers,  which  God  created  in  the  very  out-set  and  begin- 
ning of  existences. 

The  names  of  those  two  archangels,  when  first  created,  were 
Michael  and  Lucifer,  as  we  shall  show  in  the  course  of  the 
work;  Michael  signifying,  l'-/he  might  of  God?  and  Lucifer. 
Light-bringer.  St.  Jude,  the  Prophets  Daniel  and  Isaiah,  speak 
of  r  .  Milder  those  names;  orthodox  christians  believe 

that  th?  s,v  two  highest  of  all  angelic  orders,  as  well  as  all  beneath 
them,  were  created  by  the  Word  of  God,  who,  in  the  course  of 
not  only  our  earth,  but  all  other  worlds,  andcontin- 
as  he  pleases,  and  will  continue  thus  to  create  ad 
infinitum,  peopling  them  and  constituting  them  as  he  will ;  and 
that  tins  Word  of  God — the  Second  Person  of  the  ever-adorable 
and  my  Trinity — in  the  fullness  of  periods,  became  in- 

carnate, or  in  etlwr  words,  became  flesh  and  dwelt  among  men  : 
when  I  Ithenameof  Jesus  Christ 

According  to  these,  the  orthodox  sects,  it  is  believed  that  one 
of  these  archangels,  namely.  Lucifer,  fell  from  his  first  condi- 
tion, toL  other  angels  of  lower  orders,  and  were 
therefore,  necessarily,  bereft  of  all  happiness,  which  constitutes 
their  departure  from,  or  fall  from  heaven,  their  first  estate.  The 
first  information,  of  this  oernrrcnee,  they  believe  is  found  in  Gen 
rsis.  the  !>ook  of  tin1  generations  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  3d  chapter,  as  written  by  Moses;  and  is 
believed  to  be  the  eldest  literary  work  now  in  being:  the  Chinese 
and  Hindoo  books  not  excepted:  which  by  some  it  it  is  said, 
however,  claim  an  astonishing  antiquity,  amounting  even  t* 
millions  of  years,  if  not  of  ages;  but  are  known,  and  ascertained 
by  the  enlightened  antiquarian  societies  of  the  age,  and  especially 

2 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

the  one  established  in  China,  to  be  preposterous  in  the  extreme. 
In  this  Chapter,  it  is  believed,  is  found  the  first  proof  of  the  exis- 
tence of  such  a  being,  who  by  Eve,  the  first  woman,  was  called 
Serpent,  as  stated  by  Moses ;  and  by  St.  Paul,  2d  Cor.  xi.  3, 
and  St.  John,  Rev.  xx ;  who  adds  the  names  of  Devil  and  Salmi, 
to  the  word  Serpent.  Here  in  the  disguise  of  an  animal,  calicd  in 
our  English  translation  of  the  Bible,  the  Serpent,  this  fallen  an- 
gel is  noticed  conversing  with  Eve,  the  mother  of  the  whole  hu- 
man race. 

But  as  it  respects  proof,  that  there  was  a  fallen  angel,  called 
Satan,  the  Serpent,  and  the  Devil,  an  intellectual  being,  who  by 
sophistry,  false  argument,  and  lies,  misled,  beguiled  and  de- 
ceived Eve,  we  shall  defer  it  for  the  present ;  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  kind  of  animal  Eve  meant,  when  she  said  to  the 
Lord,  that  the  Serpent  had  beguiled  her,  and  she  did  eat ;  which 
when  we  shall  have  ascertained  we  shall  resume  again. 

As  it  respects  the  kind  of  animal,  thus  spoken  of,  and  called  a 
serpent,  it  was  believed  by  the  pious,  learned,  and  celebrated 
Adam  Clarke,  one  of  the  most  laborious  and  voluminous  Bible 
commentators  of  the  age,  that  it  was  not  a  snake  or  serpent ;  but 
a  creature  of  the  Simla  species :  namely,  the  Orang  Outang, 
or  the  wild  man  of  the  woods,  which  is  the  meaning  of  the  word 
in  the  Chinese  language :  the  wild  man  of  the  woods  because  it 
looks  so  much  like  a  man.  This  opinion  may,  perhaps,  appear 
extremely  singular  to  many,  if  not  wholly  absurd,  on  account  of 
having  always  from  infancy  supposed  it  to  have  been  a  snake ; 
yet  before  we  condemn  this  opinion,  no  doubt  we  shall  do  well  to 
attend  to  the  reasoning  of  that  great  man,  as  well  as  to  the  argu- 
ments of  others,  of  the  same  opinion.  We  intend,  however,  to 
give  all  the  reasons  we  can  find  in  support  of  the  common  belief, 
as  well  as  in  support  of  the  other;  between  which  the  reader 
will  make  his  choice,  if  he  values  the  question. 

Dr.  Clarke's  reasons  against  the  animal  having  been  a  snake 
are  as  follows.  He  says  the  word  which  is  translated  serpent, 
and  has  led  the  whole  world  to  believe  that  the  creature  was  a 
snake,  is  in  the  original  Hebrew  written  Nachash,  or  Nahash, 
and  that  it  is  susceptible  of  no  less  than  three  distinct  siguiiicii- 
tions. 

First:  it  signifies  to  observe  attentively,  to  divine  or  fbretel 
events;  or  to  use  enchantments  as  did  the  ancient  avgers  or 
seers,  by  viewing  attentively  the  flights  of  birds,  the  entrails  of 
beasts  when  slain,  the  course  of  the  clouds.  Jcc. 

Second:  the  word  Nachash  signifies  to  acquire  knowledge 
by  experience^  as  by  suffering,  by  enjoyment,  society,  &c. 

Thud:  it  signifies  brass,  and  is  translated  in  the  Bible  not. 
only  brass,  but  chains  tindfe/lcrs  of  brass,  and  in  several  places 
even  .  teel,  or  any  thing  which glitters  or  is  highly  burnished. 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  11 

From  which  it  is  clear,  says  this  writer,  that  from  the  various  ac- 
ceptations of  the  word,  and  the  different  meanings  which  it  bears, 
in  the  sacred  writings,  that  it  was  a  sort  of  general  term  in  the 
Hebrew  language,  confined  to  no  one  specific  sense,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  all  others.  Here  it  will  he  necessary  to  follow  his  rea- 
soning, in  his  examination  of  the  roof  of  thai  word;  to  see  if  its 
original  ideal  meaning  will  not  enable  us  to  discover  the  true 
animal  intended  in  the  text,  and  spoken  of  by  Eve  to  the  Lord. 

We  have  already  seen,  he  says,  that  the  word  Nachash  signi- 
fies, among  other  meanings,  to  view  attentively,  and  iilso  to  ac- 
quire knowledge  by  experience,  as  it  is  used  in  Gen.  xxx.  27, 
by  Jacob:  who,  in  speaking  of  the  hard  treatment  he  met  with 
at  the  hand  of  Laban,  his  father-in-law,  says  Nachashti;  signi- 
fying, I  have  now  learned  by  experience:  for  his  father-in-law 
had  cheated  him,  or  changed  ihc  conditions  of  his  services  no  less 
than  ten  times,— and  this  meaning  appears  to  be  its  most  gene- 
ral meaning  in  the  Bible,  namely,  that  of  acquiring  knowledge, 
by  experience  or  otherwise. 

But  this  word  Nad-ask  was,  by  the  Greek  translators,  who 
translated  parts  of  the  Old  Testament  into  their  language,  nearly 
three  hundred  years  before  Christ,  made  to  mean  Op  is,  or  Ophi^ 
a  creeping  animal — the  snake.  They  do  not  seem,  says  Dr. 
Clarke,  to  have  done  this  because  this  was  its  fixed  and  deter- 
minate meaning  in  the  sacred  writings,  but  because  it  was  the 
best  that  occurred  to  the  then  translators,  who  do  not  seem  to 
have  given  themselves  much  trouble  about  it.  We  may  suppose 
however,  another  reason  which  we  will  add  to  the  above,  as  ad- 
ditional, why  they  may  have  supposed  the  word  to  mean  a  snake. 
We  have  seen  that  one  of  its  significations,  under  the  third  head 
of  its  general  meanings,  was  anything  which  was  bright  ana" 
highly  burnished,  glittering  in  the  sun,  and  being  beautiful  to  the 
sight  of  the  beholder.  Now  this  meaning  of  the  word,  was  very 
well  suited  to  the  glossy,  bright,  and  variegated  shining  of  many 
kinds  of  serpents,  which  abound  in  Greece,  and  all  tropical 
countries,  or  in  very  warm  latitudes:  on  which  account,  and  not 
being  acquainted  with  the  orang-outang,  a  creature  of  the  hotest 
regi  >ns  of  Africa  and  the  East  Indies, — the  snake,  for  the  reason 
j;ist  remarked,  and  not  on  account  of  its  subtilty,  was  supposed  by 
Greek  translators,  to  have  been  the  animal  which  Eve 
mentioned,  as  statu!  by  Mioses. 

from  that  translation  therefore,  which  is  called  the  Septua- 
gtnt,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  we  can  derive  no  light,  nor  indeed  from 
any  other  of  the  ancient  versions  of  the  Scriptures,  which  are  all 
subsequent  to  that  translation.  Wherefore,  he  says,  in  all  this 
uncertainty  about  th:*  meaning  of  the  word  Nachash,  in  the 
ancient  Hebrew,  it  is  natural  for  a  determined  and  serious  enqui- 
rer alter  truth,  to  look  everywhere  for  information  ;  and  that  in 


f2  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

such  an  enquiry,  the  Arabic  language  may  be  expected  (o  aifom 
some  help,  on  account  of  its  great  similarity,  and  even  relation 
to  the  Hebrew. 

Here,  before  we  pursue,  this  author's  reasonings  on  this  sub- 
ject, at  length,  we  will  take  occasion  to  state  the"  reasons  why 
the  Hebrew  and  Arabic  languages,  were  most  undoubtedly  simi- 
lar, if  not  identically  the  same  in  the  time  of  Moses,  when  the 
book  of  Genesis  was  written, — and  therefore  may  be  resorted  to, 
as  an  aid  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Hebrew  word  Nachash,  as 
well  as  of  many  others  in  that  language. 

The  Arabians  claim  Abraham  as  their  father,  through  the 
ancestry  of  Ishmael,  the  son  of  Abraham,  by  the  Egyptian  girl, 
or  servant-maid  of  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Abraham.  On  which 
account,  the  Arabians  were  anciently  known,  and  named  among 
the  nations,  Ishmaelites,  the  descendants  of  Ishmael,  the  son  of 
Abraham.  Now  the  language  which  Hagar  and  her  son  spoke : 
who  was  but  thirteen  T^ears  old,  when  he,  with  his  mother,  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  dwelling  and  company  of  Abraham's 
numerous  household, — most  assuredly  was  that  cf  Abraham ; 
consequently,  it  is  clear,  that  the  two  languages,  have  the  same 
origin,  and  that  one  of  them  arose  out  of  the  other:  and  who 
can  now  determine  which  is  the  purer  Hebrew,  the  old  Arabic, 
or  Ishmaelite  language,  or  the  language  of  Moses  and  the  Israel- 
ites, when  they  were  among  the  Egyptians. 

It  is  true,  that  from  the  time  in  which  Hagar  and  her  son 
went  out  from  Abraham,  into  the  great  wilderness,  to  commence 
the  fulfilment  of  God's  word  of  promise  to  Abraham,  concerning 
Ishmael,  namely,  that  he  should  become  a  multitude,  and  thi  ! 
he  should  be  a  wild  man,  and  that  out  of  him  twelve  kings  should 
proceed  ;— was  till  the  time  of  Moses,  all  of  four  hundred  years; 
yet  on  account  of  the  proximity  of  the  Egyptians,  where  the 
Israelites  in  the  land  of  Goshen  were,during  this  four  hundred 
years,  and  the  Arabians,  or  Ishmaelite  country,  the  language  or 
dialect  of  the  two  races,  cannot  with  any  show  of  reason,  be  sup- 
posed to  have  been  at  all  dissimilar;  as  the  fact  is,  even  now,  they 
are  exceedingly  alike. 

Which  of  the  two  languages,  as  spoken  by  Moses,  or  as  spoken 
by  the  Arabians,  when  the  Scriptures  of  both  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  were  -first  translated  into  their  language,  (which  was 
not  till  after  the  Christian  Era.)  was  most  like  the  language  of 
Abraham,  is  hard  to  decide.  But  of  the  Arabic  language,  Dr. 
Clarke  says,  thatit  is  of  great  use,  even  now.  in  understanding  the 
most  ancient  Hebrew  Manuscripts  of  the  Bible.  The  fact,  no 
doubt  is,  the  two  languages  arc  brothers,  arising  out  of  the  same 
source,  and  from  the  little  intercourse  of  the  Arabians  or  Ishma- 
elites, from  time  immemorial,  with  other  nations,  has  aided  in 
retaining  their  ancient  manners,  their  customs,  and  their  Ian- 


XNGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  13 

guage,  in  much  the  same  condition  they,  wero,  in  all  times  of 
their  existence,  from  the  time  they  were  first  known  as  Ishmaei- 
2tos  till  now,  or  till  the  time  when  the  Bible  was  translated  into 
their  language,  after  the  ( Jhristian  Era, 

la  the  very  era  of  Closes,  the  Phrenicians — the  first  peopli 
after  the  Deluge,  who  arrived  at  an  extensive  empire,  having 
commenced  under  the  auspices  of  Nimrod,  the  grand-son  of 
Noah;— comprehended  the  countries  afterward  known  in  scrip- 
■  history,  of  Palestine^  Tyre,  Sidon,  the  whole  country  of  the 
old  Cana  and  the  Hebrews,  Syria,  Syro-Phoenicia,  Ant- 

ram,  Arabia,  Mesopotamia,  Babylon,  and  Chaldea.  In  all  these 
countries  A,   author   of  "Book  of  Nature  "  the 

same  language  was  spoken,  and  the  same  alphabet  was  used,-— 
differing  no  more  in  their  dialects,  than  the  Scotch  and  Eng 

But  while  all  other  nations  have  passed  away,  with 
then-  La  and  usages,  the  Arabians,  inhabiting  a  country. 

which,  on  account  of  its  deserts  and  location,  secluded  its  inhabi 
rants  from  mingling  in  commerce,  with  surrounding  nations, 
have  retained  therefore,  their  ancient  manners  and  language,  more 
pure  than  any  oilier  people  of  the  whole  earth.  For  this  very 
he  propriety  of  going  to  the  Arabic  language,  to 
aid  in  deciphering  the  true  and  identical  meaning  of  the  word 
Nackash  ;  a  word,  used  by  the  mother  of  the  human  race,  in 
conversation  with  God  himself  when  she  complained  to  him, 
that  she  had  been  deceived  by  this  creature,  according  to  the 
account  Mo  jiven  us  of  the  transaction.     Well,  what 

word  is  there  m  the  Arabic  language,  which  can  help  us  in  this 
difficulty?  It  is  due  word  Cha-nass.  The  word  Cha-nass, 
says  Dr.  Clarke,  is  a  root,  in  the  Arabic,  and  casts  light  on  this 
subject,  as  it  is  similar  in  formation  and  sound,  to  the  Hebrew 
Nackash.  The  word  Chan  ass,  or  K-ka-nassa, — signifies, 
departed,  drew  oil"  lay  hid,  seduced,  slunk  away.  From  this 
root,  comes  A-ka-ka-nass,  K-h-nass,  and  K-ha-noos,  all  of  which 
signify,  an  Ape,  or  Satyrus,  or  any  creature  of  the  Simla,  or 
Ape  genus,  at  the  head  of  which,  is  placed  the  Orang-outang,  or 
man  of  the  woods.  It  is  very  remarkable,  says  J)r.  ( larke,  that 
one  of  these  words  -namely,  K-ha-nass,  means  the  devil,  that 
fallen  angel,  in  the  Arabic,— and  is  derived  from  the  root,  Cha- 
nass,  or  K-ha-nassa,  which  means  a  Seducer 

Now  is  it  not  strange,  that  the  Arabic  Satan,  devil,  or  fallen 
mgeL,  should  have  the  same  name,  with  that  of  the  Orang-outang. 
ana  derived  from  the  same  root,  and  that  root  so  very  similar  to 
the  Hebrew  word  Nackash,  unless  they  signified  the  same  thing 
in  the  outset,  and  common  parent  language,  as  spoken  in  the 
family  of  Abraham,  and  at  the  time  of  Moses,  by  the  Hebrews? 

We  have  seen  that  one  of  the  meanings  of  the  Hebrew  Nach- 
ash,  was  that  of  foretelling  events,  embracing  under  that  idea, 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

that  of  necromancy,  which  is  a  deceptive,  deceitful  pretension, 
and  agrees  with  the  Arabic  word  Cha-nass,  or  K-ha-nassa, — 
which  signifies  to  seduce,  and  then  to  hide,  by  secretly  departing 
from  the  sight,  so  that  the  seduced  cannot  even  suspect  they  are 
deceived.  By  examining  the  Hebrew,  as  now  extant,  it  is  found, 
that  the  word  Koph  or  Kooph,  signifies  an  aper  or  any  creature 
of  the  simia,  or  ape  genus, — which  words,  in  their  formation 
and  sound,  are  extremely  similar  to  the  Arabic  word  K-ha-noosT 
the  name  for  the  same  creature  in  the  Arabic,  and  would  seem  to 
prove,  that  the  words  in  both  languages,  were  derived  originally 
from  the  same  root,  Cha-nass,  and  shows  them  to  have  sprung 
out  of  the  same  origin,  and  family :  that  of  Abraham  the  Chaldean, 

With  this  view  it  is  extremely  singular,  that  the  Greek  trans- 
lators should  have  rendered  the  Hebrew  word  Nachask — which 
we  believe  arose  out  of  the  root  Cha-nass — to  signify  a  snake, 
or  opts  or  ophi,  which  are  terms  in  that  language  for  the  serpent, 
instead  of  having  translated  it  Pithe-kos,  which  is  the  Greek  name 
of  the  Ape,  or  any  creature  of  the  Simia  race,  and  has  for  its  head 
the  Orang-outang  or  wild  man  of  the  woods.  They  must  have 
been  influenced  by  some  such  reasons  as  we  have  already  given, 
namely,  that  as  the  snakes  in  the  warm  countries,  and  islands  oi 
the  Greeks,  were  very  beautiful,  glossy  and  shining  in  their 
appearance,  they  seemed  to  have  supposed  that  the  word  Nach- 
ash,  meant  this  creature,  as  that  any  thing  which  was  highly 
burnished  and  glittered  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  was  one  of  its 
ideal  meanings. 

But  if  they  had  discovered  its  other  meaning, — which  was,  to 
deceive,  and  seduce,  by  subtilty,  cunning,  &c, — they  no  doubt 
would  have  translated  the  word  Nachash,  Pi-the-kos,  which 
was  in  Greek,  the  Orang-outang,  or  any  creature  of  the  Ape 
genus.  The  word  Pi-the-kos,  is  more  than  fifty  per  cent  affinity 
to  both  the  Hebrew  and  Arabic  names  of  the  same  creature. 
We  will  exhibit  them  together,  that  the  reader  may  at  once  per- 
ceive their  likeness:  Nach-ash,  Kooph,  which  are  Hebrew,  K- 
ha-twos,  K-ha-nass,  which  are  Arabic,  and  Pi-the-kos,  which 
is  Greek.  Do  they  not  evidently  bear  to  each  other  a  strong 
consanguinity  in  sound  and  formation. 

x\nd  why  should  they  not?  As  the  ancient  Hebrew,  the  an- 
cient Greek,  and  the  ancient  Arabic,  were  all  spoken  in  small 
countries,  bordering  on  each  other,  at  a  time  but  little  removed 
from  the  time  of  the  flood,  and  must  of  necessity  at  that  period 
of  the  world,  have  been  much  more  alike;  springing  as  they  did, 
out  of  the  language  of  Noah,  and  retaining  their  then  affinities, 
far  more  than  such  of  them  as  now  remain,  can  possibly  be 
expected  to  do — except  the  Arabic  alone,  for  the  reasons  already 
given. 

But  to  return  from  the  subject  of  the  creature's  name,  more 


ANGLLS  OF  TEIE    SCRIPTURES.  15 

particularly  to  what  is  said  of  its  attributes,  as  examined  by  Ad- 
am Clarke, —"  Now  the  Nac  has  Ii '.was  more  subtle,  more  wise, 
and  prudent,  than  any  beast  of  the  field,  [or  earth]  which  the 
Lord  God  had  made.  In  this  account,  we  find, — First:  that 
whatever  tin's  Nachash  was,  it  stood  at  the  head  of  the  whole 
animal  creation,  for  wisdom,  subtilty,  and  understanding. 
And  Second;  that  it  walked  or  went  upright ;  as  this  is  necessa- 
rily implied  in  its  punishment: — 'on  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go:' 
i.e.  on  all  fours,  like  other  quadrupeds.  Could  this  have  been 
said  of  a  creeping  serpent,  or  reptile,  of  any  kind,  as  none  of  them 
overdid,  and  inner  could  walk  erect,  as  they  have  no  means,  by 
which  they  could  have  thus  made  progress  over  the  ground?  If 
therefore,  the  animal  was  a  snake,  a  creature  which  had  crept 
along  on  the  ground  from  its  creation,  it  could  have  been  neither 
curse  nor  punishment,  for  them  to  go  on  their  bellies,  as  they  had 
always  done,  and  must  do  while  the  race  endures." 

In  the  motions  of  a  serpent,  there  appears  to  be  no  kind  of 
inconvenience;  as  it  glide.-;  rapidly  and  secretly  on  its  way,  how- 
ever rough  and  uneven  it  may  be,  or  dangerous  to  other  animals 
that  have  legs,  on  which  account,  the  creature  is  most  evident- 
ly better  commoded,  than  if  it  had  not  been  cursed.  How  could 
legs  be  placed  upon  a,  serpent  ten,  twenty,  or  eighty  feet  in  length, 
as  some  are  known  to  be,  so  as  to  be  of  use  to  the  reptile. 
Four  legs,  as  quadrupeds  have,  could  not  be  placed  in  such  a 
manner,  as  to  prevent  the  sagging  down  to  the  ground  of  all  that 
part  of  a  long  serpent's  body,  situated  between  those  legs:  unless 
a  muscular  power  had  been  conferred  upon  them,  so  as  to  enable 
them  to  describe  an  arch  from  the  place  where  the  legs  might  be 
inserted,  sufficient  to  prevent  their  bodies  from  being  exposed  to  so 
great  an  inconvenience,  as  that  of  sweeping  the  ground  between; 
as  a  muscular  power  sufficient  to  enable  a  long  snake  to  keep 
itself  in  a  horizontal  line,  would  be  unnatural,  and  monstrous,— 
requiring  the  creature's  whole  strength,  to  perpetually  maintain 
this  position ;  and  besides,  this  together  with  the  legs,  would  en- 
tirely destroy  the  fine  evolving  motions  of  the  serpent ;  and 
annihilate  the  identity  of  the  creature  altogether:  so  that  if  this 
were  the  case,  we  should  have  no  snake  at  all.  The  serpent  has 
no  organs  of  speech,  nor  any  kind  of  voice,  as  all  other  animals 
have,  but  can  only  hiss.  There  is  however,  one  exception  to  this 
trait  of  the  history  of  serpents,  and  this  is  concerning  the  crested 
Basilisk  of  India,  which,  it  is  said,  has  a  very  loud  and  horrid 
cry,  of  which  we  shall  soon  give  a  more  full  account. 

On  account  of  the  evident  want  of  capacity  in  the  serpent  to 
answer  the  creature  of  the  text,  "we  are  obliged,"  says  Adam 
<  larke,  "  to  seek  some  other  creature,  to  designate  the  Nach-ash, 
rather  than  the  common  snake,  as  generally  believed,  which  on 
every  view  of  the  subject  appears  inapplicable."     We  have  seen, 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

according  to  the  above  writer,  that  one  of  the  ideal  meanings  of 
the  root  of  all  these  words,  namely,  Cha-nass,  is,  to  seduce  and 
deceive;  and  that  K-ha-nas,  or  K-ha-noos  means  the  devil,  a 
wicked  supernatural  spirit,  in  the  Arabic,  and  was  that  spirit 
who  seduced  Eve  from  God  and  truth,  and  then  departed  from 
his  disguised  and  hidden  condition,  no  more  to  appear  in  that 
form.  "It  therefore  appears  that  a  creature  of  the  Ape  species, 
is  intended  instead  of  a  snake,  and  that  Satan  made  use  of  the 
former,  as  the  most  proper  instrument  for  the  accomplishment  of 
his  murderous  purposes,  against  the  life  and  soul  of  man," 

The  creature,  whatever  it  was.  according  to  the  text,  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  whole  animal  world,  and  as  the  Ape  genus,  are 
known  to  be  more  cunning,  and  subtle,  than  any  other  beast  of 
the  field,  we  are  justified  in  selecting  the  Orang-outang,  as  the 
identical  creature,  which  Satan  made  use  of  on  the  occasion  of 
Eve's  ruin;  because  the  Orang-outang  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
whole  simia  race,  and  is  In  this  way  proven  to  be  the  subtilist,  or 
most  intellectual  animal  of  the  whole  creation — man  alone  excep- 
ted. "  It  is  evident,"  says  Clarke,  "  from  the  structure  of  the  limbs 
of  this  creature,  that  it  originally  went  upright,  like  a  man,  and 
that  nothing  but  a  sovereign  controlling  power,  could  have  indu- 
ced it  to  put  down  hands,  which  in  every  respect  are  formed  like 
those  of  man,  and  compelled  the  race  to  go  on  all  fours,  like 
those  animals  which  have  hoofs  and  paws,  instead  of  hands." 

If  it  is  objected  to  this,  that  the  Orang-outang,  in  its  natural 
state,  goes  erect,  even  now,  and  therefore  cannot  be  the  creature, 
intended  in  the  text  of  Moses, — we  have  it  to  reply,  that  the  erect 
position  of  the  animal  is  assumed  but  occasionally,  and  is  evi- 
dently a  labored  action,  resorted  to  only  when  the  creature  is 
forced  to  it,  as  in  descending  a  steep  place,  being  pursued,  or 
when  it  fights  in  close  combat.  But  as  much  can  be  said  of  a 
dog,  or  a  bear,  which  frequently  fight  standing  on  their  hinder 
legs  ;  and  the  latter  can  even  run  in  that  position,  and  no  one  ever 
thought  of  believing  that  bears  go  erect  naturally  and  of  choice, 
when  not  compelled  by  some  unavoidal  on.     The  Orang- 

outang is  an  animal,  which  approaches  very  near  in  form,  to  our 
race,  differing  in  conformation,  only  in  the  creature's  having  two 
vertebra,  or  joints  of  the  spinal  bone,  less  than  man,— and  in 
feet  being  hands,  with  a  thumb  on  each,  as  well  as  its  bunds;  by 
which  we  perceive  Vne  creature,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  was  at  first 
adapted  to  climbing,  as  well  as  to  walking  or  running  upright ;  the 
former  of  which,  thatof  climbing,  they  yet  retain,  and  excel  all 
other  animals,  dwelling  when  they  please,  in  the  toj>s  of  the 
thick  forests  of  India.  No  man  can  view  an  animal  of  this  kind, 
especially  the  Pongo  Orang-outang,  and  not  be  impressed  with  a 
feeling  of  certainty,  of  its  intellectual  approach  to  the  human  spe- 
cies, above  all  other  creatures.     But  when  it  actst  its  subtilty, 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


17 


cunning,  and  intellectual  condition,  is  at  once  perceived,  still 
more  than  at  rest;  as  there  is  a  steadiness  in  its  manner  of  con- 
templating objects, — a  readiness,  and  aptitude  to  learn,  and  to 
seem  to  comprehend,  when  instructed,  as  is  evident  to  all  who 
have  witnessed  their  exploits;  even  the  common  Ape, — acrca- 
ture,  much  below  the  Orang-outang  in  intellectual  endowments, 
an  animal  of  the  same  genus,  will  do  astonishing  feats  of  horse* 
manship,  and  other  imitations  of  human  performances,  at  the 
word  of  command,  or  bare  signal  of  its  master,  as  is  often  witnes- 
sed in  the  menageries  of  the  country. 

Of  this  creature,  the  Orang-outang,  naturalists  relate,  that  in 
their  nati\e  woods,  in  a  wild  condition,  some  of  them  are  very 
large  and  siren:'-,  exceeding  by  a  considerable  amount,  the  ordi- 
nary size  of  men,  '■  es  lonnd  full  six  feet  in  height, 
when  stretched  tip  erect,  being  very  Savage  and  :  an  kill- 
ing  the  negroes,  when  they  happen  to  meet  in  the  i  f  Afri- 
ca, and  |  I:  are  found.  They  are  more  than  a 
match  for  the  elephant,  yean  hurl  stones  and  clubs  with 
great  violence  and  precision,  with  infiiate  grimmace  and  horrid 
gestures,  so  that  th<  ■  ;  is  glad  to  escape  so  crafty  an  enemy. 
At  the  time  when  Alexander  the  Greal  was  in  India,  where  he 
had  been  l<  d  on  by  of  war — he  met  a  host,  or  small  army 
of  Orang-outangs,  and  m  m  their  formidable  a]  pearance,  naked, 
hairy,  horrible,  and  m<  nacing  attitudes,  he  was  induced  to  make 
ready  to  give  them  battle,  in  case  they  came  too  nigh;  but 
whether  a  fight  took  place,  is  not  related  by  the  historian. 
But  Hanno,  the  Carthaginian  general,  having  met  with  a 
lar  encounter,  on  an  island  near  the  coast  of  Africa,  did  in 
reality,  net  only  ma!  /  his  men  t'rr  the  battle,  1  ut  actually 
fought  a  small  army  of  tures,  wfo  ■  ■  and  stones 
were  found  insufficient!  with  the  spears,  slii  words 
of  Hanno's  soldiers :  fell  therefore,  in  great  hut  I  :  and  being 
frightened  by  the  y<  lis  of  the  army  and  sound  <  f  the  drums  and 
trumpets,  fled  {■>  the  i  g  to  the  Carthaginians  the 
held  and  the  victims.  S<  v  ra]  of  these  Hanno  caused  to  1  eskin 
ned,  salted,  sewed  up,  and  stuffed  with  <:.  .  .  and  con 
veyed  to  Carthage,  where  th<  y  were  placed  in  the  temj  le  of  Juno, 
queen  of  heawen,  and  w  re  found  there,  when  that  city  was 
taken  by  the  i                          i    .  Inc.  vol.  26,  letters  <  IRA. 

From  these  accounts,  we  sec  this  creature  is  capable  of  plotting 
and  making  n  :e  of  its  native  haunts,  in  a  man- 

i  i  emblmg  the  actions  of  men,  even  acting  in 
concert.  No  mere  animal  can  ascend  as  high  in  cultivation  as 
the  Orang-outang,  their  memories  being  exceedingly  retentive, 
much  men:  so,  than  any  other  beast  of  the  creation. 

In  proof  of  this,  we  give  the  following  accounts.     There  was 
an  Orang-outang,  carried  from  some  part  of  Africa,  in  a  Dutch 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

vessel  to  Holland,  which,  while  on  board,  fell  sick.  The  physi- 
cian of  the  ship,  took  it  in  his  head  to  bleed  the  creature,  the  same 
as  he  would  a  man  ;  after  which,  it  grew  better  and  scon  recov- 
ered. But  what  was  their  surprise,  when,  before  the  voyage 
was  finished,  the  Orang-outang,  on  again  feeling  itself  in  pain, 
from  ill-health,  went  to  the  men.  making  signs  to  be  again  bled 
in  its  arm,  remembering  the  ease  it  experienced  from  the  former 
operation.  Is  not  this  a  proof,  that  the  animal  has  in  a  wonder- 
ful degree,  the  power  of  reflecting,  and  of  combining  circumstan- 
ces, so  as  to  make  deductions,  approaching  very  near  to  that  of 
man.— falling  short  however,  of  absolute  moral  capacity. 

A  traveller  in  the  island  of  Java,— a  tropical  country,  situate 
at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Chinese  sea, — relates,  that  he 
saw  there,  a  female  Orang-outang,  which  was  so  well  educated, 
that  it  made  its  own  bed,  as  a  human  being  would,  and  then 
laid  down  upon  it,  with  her  head  upon  the  pillow,— which  was 
stuffed  with  straw,  or  dry  grass. — covering  up  her  bedy  with  the 
quilt;  this  she  did  at  night,  when  she  desired  to  sleep.  When 
her  head  ached,  she  would  tie  a  handkerchief  round  it,  having 
been  instructed  to  do  so  by  the  person  who  owned  her. 

Vosman  gives  an  account  of  one  of  these  animals,  which  was 
brought  io  Holland,  in  1776,  and  presented  to  the  Prince  of  Orange. 
It  was  about  two  and  a  half  Rhenish  feet  high.  In  its  manners,  it 
was  grave  and  melancholy.  It  was  exceedingly  fend  of  the  coni- 
pany  of  man.  When  company — which  often  visited  it — retired, 
so  that  it  was  left  alone,  it  would  throw  itself  on  the  ground,  ma- 
king lamentable  cries,  showing  all  the  signs  of  grief  and  despair, 
a  human  being  could — speech  alone  excepted.  When  the  keep- 
er appeard,  it  see] nod  comforted,  and  would  make  signs  for  him 
to  come  close  by,  shaking  up,  and  spreading  out  the  diy 
grass  of  its  bed,  for  him  to  sit  upon.  It  used  the  fork  and  spoon, 
in  eating,  in  the  same  manner  men  do,  to  convey  food  to  the 
mouth,  as  if  it  were  a  human  being. 

"There  is  even  now,  in  the  Museum  of  Natural  History,  in 
Paris,  a  young  Orang-outang,  brought  from  Sumatra.  This  not 
only  possesses  great  docility,  but  seems  to  understand  many  of 
the  feelings  and  actions  of  man  ;  he  is  sensible  of  reproof,  and 
sheds  tears  and  pants  when  scolded,  as  a  child  wjould  do.  Ho 
imitates  with  great  skill  what  lie  sees  done,  and  even  invents  ap- 
propriate means,  well  fitted  to  attain  his  ench,  when  he  moots 
with  obstacles.  For  example,  when  he  was  unable  to  catch  a 
little  dog.  more  nimble  than  himself,  which  had  been  placed  in 
his  room  as  its  companion,  and  found  himself  worsted  in  the 
pursuit,  he  seized  upon  the  end  of  a  rope,  suspended  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  swinging,  leaped  in  every  direction,  till 
he  caught  the  dog.  At  another  time  lie  tried  to  open  the  door, 
as  his  master  had  done,  with  the  key  :  but  having  put  the  wrong 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  19 

i 

end  of  it  into  the  lock,  he  soon  however,  perceived  the  mistake, 
took  it  out  and  put  in  the  other  end. 

In  the  year  1817,  there  was  Brought  by  a  Doct.  Abel,  from 
Jara  to  England,  an  Orang-outang ;  the  account  of  which,  we 
here  extract  from  the  Penny  magazine,  vols.  1  and  2,  page 
157,  for  the  year  1K32,  as  follows:  "The  Orang-outang,  on 
his  arrival  in  Java,  was  allowed  to  be  entirely  at  liberty,  till 
within  a  few  days  of  being  put  on  board  the  Caesar  to  be  convey- 
ed to  England,  and  whilst  at  large,  made  no  attempt  to  escape; 
but  became  violent,  when  put  in  a  large  railed  bamboo  cage,  for 
the  purpose  of  being  conveyed  from  the  Island.  As  soon  as  he 
felt  himself  in  confinement,  he  took  the  rails  of  the  cage  in  his 
hands,  and  shaking  them  violently,  endeavored  to  break  them 
in  pieces,  but  finding  that  they  did  dot  yield,  generally;  lie  then 
tried  them  separately,  and  soon  discovering  one  weaker  than  the 
rest,  worked  at  it  constantly,  till  he  had  broken  it  out  and  made 
his  escape.  He  was  again  captured,  and  taken  on  board  the 
ship,  where  an  attempt  was  made  to  secure  him  to  a  strong  sta- 
ple by  a  cord,  which  lie  instantly  untied  with  his  fingers,  as  rea- 
dily as  a  man  could  have  done,  and  rem  off  with  the  chain  drag- 
ging behind;  but  finding  himself  embarrassed  by  its  length,  he 
eoiled  it  up  and  threw  it  over  his  shoulders.  This  feat  he  often 
repeated  ;  and  when  he  found  it  would  not  remain  on  his  shoul- 
ders, he  took  into  his  mouth.  They  now  allowed  him  freely  to 
wander  about  the  ship,  as  he  showed  no  disposition  to  leap  over- 
board, and  soon  became  familiar  with  the  sailors,  greatly  surpass- 
ing them  in  agility.  They  would  often  chase  him  about  the 
rigging,  which  gave  him  frequent  opportunity  of  displaying  his 
ability  in  managing  to  get  away  from  them.  On  first  starting 
he  would  endeavor  to  outstrip  his  pursuers  by  mere  speed,  but 
when  hard  pressed,  would  elude  them  by  seizing  a  loose  rope, 
and  swinging  out  of  their  reach.  At  other  times  he  would  pa- 
tiently wait  on  the  shrouds,  or  at  the  mast-head,  till  his  pursu- 
ers almost  touched  him,  and  then  suddenly  lower  himself  to  the 
deck  by  any  rope,  that  was  near  him,  or  bound  along  the  main- 
stay, from  one  mast  to  another,  or  swinging  by  his  hands, 
moving  them  one  over  the  other,  the  same  as  a  man  would  do. 
When  in  a  playful  humor,  he  would  often  swing  by  some  loose 
rope,  within  arms'  length  of  his  pursuer,  and  having  struck 
him  with  his  hand  which  was  at  liberty,  would  throw  himself 
from  him,  with  all  the  alertness  and  sport  of  a  human  being. 
Hi  commonly  slept  at  mast-head,— after  wrapping  himself  in 
a  sail ;  in  making  his  bed.  he  would  use  the  greatest  pains  to  re- 
move every  thing  out  of  his  way,  which  might  render  the  surface 
on  which  lie  intended  to  lie.  uneven  ;  and  having  satisfied  him- 
self with  this  part  of  his  arrangement,  would  spiced  out  the 
sail,  and  lying  down  upon  it,  drawing  it  over  his  body,  with  all 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

the  signs  of  reason  on  the  point,  which  seemed  necessary  for  the 
occasion.  Off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  he  suffered  much  from 
cold,  especially  early  in  the  morning, — when  he  would  descend 
from  his  .sleeping- place  on  the  top  of  the  mast,  shudering  with 
cold,  and  running  up  to  any  one  of  his  friends,  would  climb  into 
his  arms,  and  clasping  them  closely,  till  he  felt  himself  growing 
warm, — screaming  violently  at  any  attempt  to  take  him  away. 
In  his  attempts  to  obtain  food,  while  on  board  the  vessel,  lie  offer- 
ed many  opportunities  of  judging  of  his  sagacity  and  disposition. 
He  was  always  very  impatient  to  seize  it,  when  held  out  to  him, 
and  became  passionate  when  it  was  not  soon  given  up,  and 
would  chase  a  person  all  over  the  ship  to  obtain  it.  Sometimes, 
says  Doct.  Abel,  I  would  endeavor  to  evade  him  by  ascending  to 
the  mast-head,  but  was  always  overtaken  or  intercepted  in  my 
progress.  But  if  he  found  it  impossible  to  overtake,  on  account 
of  my  having  somehow  got  the  start  of  him,  he  would  climb  to  a 
considerable  height  on  the  loose  rigging,  and  then  drop  suddenly 
upon  me,  and  rifle  me  of  the  food  in  my  pockets.  But  if  I,  per- 
ceiving his  intentions,  attempted  to  descend,  before  he  could 
aiight  upon  me  in  that  way,  he  would  quickly  slide  down  some 
rope,  and  meet  me  at  the  bottom  of  the  shrouds,  and  then  obtain 
his  desires.  Sometimes  I  would  fasten  an  orange  at  the  end  of 
a  rope,  and  lower  it  from  aloft  to  the  deck,  but  as  soon  as  he 
attempted  to  seize  it,  drew  it  rapidly  up  cut  of  his  reach.  After 
being  several  times  foiled  in  this  way,  by  endeavoring  to  obtain 
it  by  direct  means,  he  would  then  alter  his  plan,  by  appearing  to 
care  very  little  about  it, — removing  to  some  distance,  and  ascend 
some  piece  of  rigging  very  leisurely  for  some  time;  then  by  a 
sudden  spring,  would  catch  the  rope,  to  which  it  was  fastened. 
But  if  defeated  again,  by  my  suddenly  jerking  il  away,  he  would 
at  first  seem  quite  in  despair,  relinquish  his  efforts,  and  rush 
about  the  rigging,  screaming  violently;  yet  he  would  always 
return,  to  a  renewed  trial,  tiil  he  could  seize  the  rope,— di^  regard- 
ing the  jerking,  and  allow  it  to  run  through  one  of  his  bauds,  till 
within  reach  of  the  orange,  and  thus  obtain  it.  The  animal  nei- 
ther practised  the  grimmace,  nor  antics  of  other  monkies,  nor 
possessed  their  perpetual  proneness  to  mischief.  Gravity  ap- 
proaching to  mildness  and  melancholly,  were  sometimes  strongly 
expressed  in  his  countenance.  When  he  first  came  among  stran 
i^ers,  he  would  sit  for  hours  with  his  hand  upon  his  head,  look- 
ing pensively  at  all  around  him." 

On  board  the  same  ship,  there  were  several  monkies,  of  which 
the  Orang-outang  would  take  no  notice,  when  seen  by  any  per- 
son ;  and  if  at  any  time  he  did  allow  them  to  play  with  him,  it 
was  by  stealth;  while  with  the  boys  and  men  of  the  ship,  ho 
would  romp  and  play,  freely  and  eagerly.  At  one  time  he  was 
detected  in  an  attempt  to  throw  a  cage  of  small  monkies  into  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  23 

?oa,  as  if  he  knew  that  water  could  kill  them, — but  was  prevented 
by  the  sailors;  this  he  did  -it  was  supposed — because  he  had 
noticed  that  food  was  given  them,  which  he  desired  himself. 
This  Orang-outang  remained  in  England  nearly  two  years, 
when  ii  fell  sick  and  died :  during  which,  it  mourned  and  seemed 
afflicted,  nearly  as  much  as  a  human  creature  could  have 
been,  and  seemed  to  implore  assistance,  and  relief  from  pain,  of 
such  as  stood  near  him.  This  animal  was  but  a  small  one  of 
the  species,  being  but  about  two  and  a  half  feet  high  ;  while 
some  have  been  seen  in  their  native  woods,  as  large?  as  men ;  but 
invariably  go  on  all  fours,  except  under  particular  circumstances. 

What  animal  of  the  earth,  can  compete  with  this,  in  giving 
evidence  of  intellectual  subtilty,  and  approach  to  man, —  as  ap- 
from  the  foregoing  accounts?  None,  we  may  fearlessly 
state;  proving,  as  we  deem,  that  this  is  the  creature  pointed  cut 
in  the  text.  ']  'his  is  the  species  of  animal,  one  oi'  which  Satan, 
the  fallen  angel,  an  invisible  spirit,  made  use  of  to  hide  him- 
self in,  to  deceive  the  woman,— by  inspiring  it  with  the  gift  of 
speech,  and  faculty  of  more  than  human  reasoning,  for  the  time 
being.  In  its  upright  form,  which  no  doubt,  was  its  original 
{x>sition,  well  a  |  articular,  with  the  purpose  of  the 

evil  one ;  we  see  the  animal,  earnestly  soliciting,  and  reasoning 
with  the  woman: — heaping  argument  on  argument,  with  ad- 
volubility,  and  eloquence;  more  vehemi  Jit  and  ravishing, 
than  ever  echoed  in  the  halls  of  Greek  or  Roman  eloquence  ; 
attended  with  attitudes  and  tact  of  persuasion,  beyond  all  mortal 
power;  with  blandishments  infinite,  to  allure  the  woman,  in 
pursuit  of  knowledge,  to  pluck  the  fruit  of  that  tree.  (See  the 
Plate) 

The  mind  educated  to  believe  the  animal  was  vot  a  creature 
of  the  Ape  genus,  but  a  serpent,  would  do  well  to  recollect, 
that  the  terms,  as  found  in  Genesis,  :-  on  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go," 
are  far  from  saying. —on  thy  belly  shalt  thou  creep  :  as  goingj 
or  walking,  is  very  different  from  the  creeping,OT  crawling  mo- 
tions c.{  the  snake;  plainly  showing,  that  to  go  on  four  feet  or 
hands,  is  to  go  as  pointed  out  in  the  text.  Is  it  possible  to  con- 
ceive an  idea  more  preposterous,  than  that  a  long  tissue  of  a 
lire,  such  as  the  snake  is,  could  ever  have  walked  or  none 
upright,  on  the  sharp  end  of  its  tail.  If  it  is  said,  that  it  might 
originally,  have  had  legs  and  feet:  y.t  we  cannot  perceive,  where 
they  could  have  boon  placi  d,  to  any  advantage  to  the  creature,  as 
they  e\ idently  must  have  been  in  its  way.  But,  if  to  this,  it  is 
replied,  that  God,  when  he  cursed  the  animal,  took  its  legs  off, 
and  laid  the  creature  out  straight  on  its  belly;  we  in  our  turn, 
reply,  by  asking  the  authority  for  such  a  notion, — as  there  is  no 
allusion  in  the  text,  to  any  dismemberment  of  the  animal.  Wo 
have  another  argument,  to  advance  against  the  animal's  having 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

been  a  creature,  which  crept  on  its  belly,  as  does  the  snake ;  and 
this  arises  out  of  the  phraseology  of  the  curse,  which  reads, — 
**  cursed  art  thou  above  all  cattle?  Now,  are  cattle  classed 
with  snakes,  or  reptiles?  Do  snakes  belong  to  quadrupeds? 
Are  they  so  classed  in  the  science  of  zoology?  No,  they 
are  not:  and  never  have  been,  in  any  age  of  the  world,  but  be 
long  to  the  reptile  division  of  nature.  The  word  Cattle,  in  the 
Hebrew,  is  Behema,  and  distinguishes  all  those  kinds  of  animals 
not  belonging  to  fishes,  reptiles,  fowls,  or  insects : — but  to  beasts, 
which  walk  on  the  earth,  with  four  feet.  But  Serpents  are 
classed  among  reptiles, — and  consequently,  could  never,  with 
propriety,  have  been  thus  alluded  to,  as  a  part  of  the  creatures, 
belonging  to  such  as  the  Divine  Being,  has  in  the  text  denounced 
Cattle,  or  Behema. 

By  some,  however,  this  meaning  is  denied,  who  are  determined 
to  believe  that  the  creature  was  a  mere  snake:  and  contend  that 
the  phraseology, — cursed  art  thou  above  all  cattle,- — meant : 
cursed  art  thou  above  all  kinds  of  animals  :  whether  of  beasts, 
fishes,  fowls,  reptiles,  or  insects.  But  as  the  term  Cattle,  or  Be- 
hema, is  not  descriptive  of  all  kinds  of  animals,  existing  under 
all  possible  forms  and  circumstances,  we  conclude,  that  the  crea- 
ture belonged  to  that  division  of  nature,  called  Behema,  or  it 
would  have  been  said:  cursed  art  thou  above  every  creature 
under  heaven,  instead  of— all  cattle. 

But  says  the  querist,  how  is  this?— could  the  Orang-outang, 
have  been  classed  with  creatures  which  went  on  four  feet,  when 
it  is  supposed  that  it  went  upright  on  two,  like  men  ?  Yes,  is 
our  reply  ;  it  may  so  have  been,  on  account  of  its  arms  being  of 
great  length  :  much  longer,  than  those  of  man  ;  and  because  the 
Divine  Being,  knowing  his  own  purpose  of  then  reducing  this 
hitherto  exalted  animal,  to  the  condition  of  all  cattle, — namely, 
go  on  four  feet.  But,  says  \\v?,  querist,  how  is  it,  that  this  animal 
is  cursed  more  than  any  other  creature?  Does  it  not  in  all  res- 
pects enjoy  itself,  as  an"  animal,  as  well  as  all  other  beings  of  the 
creation?  Our  answer  is:  no  doubt  it  dors,  as  it  cannot  know 
anything  of  its  former  shape,  or  attitude;  yet  in  its  motions,— 
whether  upright,  or  on  all  fours  —there  is  a  strange  shambling 
awkwardness,  which  characterises  the  creature. — not  accompa- 
nying the  motions  of  any  other  animal  of  the  whole  creation: 
which  marks  it  as  having  been  cursed,  and  changed  from  its  first 
erect  and  easy  position  of  action.  That  the  animal  originally 
went  uptight,  like  a  man,  is  shown,  from  the  words  of  Moses: — 
'•  on  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go  ;"  or  these  words  are  without  mean- 
ing, and  the  curse  a  solemn  nothing.  If  it  is  enquired,  whether 
the  Orang-outang,  or  any  of  the  Ape  genus  eat  dust :  as  the  text 
reads, — "dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life  :"  it  is  an- 
swered, they  do ;    inasmuch  as  they  now  are  entirely  indif- 


ANGELS  OF  TllE  SCRlPTtltES.  25 

fcrent  to  the  circumstance  of  their  food  being  in,  or  among 
the  dust  of  the  ground  ;  hut  was  not  originally  so,  having  in 
their  upright  position  picked  their  food,  which  was  the  fruit  of 
the  woods,  from  the  boughs,  with  their  fingers,  clean  and  pure,  as 
produced  from  the  hud  and  (lowers  of  the  trees, — unmigled  with 
the  dust  of  the  ground.  Dust,  of  itself,  imparts  no  nourishment 
to  any  creature,  and  is  never  taken  into  the  stomach  of  any  ani- 
mal, except  by  accident,  or  for  some  property,  it  often  possesses, 
which  is  detected  by  the  senses:  such  as  salts,  sacharine,  ccc. 
On  this  very  account,  we  learn  that  the  eating  of  dust)  as  the 
text  reads,  must  take  place,  only  in  the  act  of  receivering  other 
food :  as  it  is  incapable  of  sustaining  animal  life,  and  could  never 
have  meant  that  dust  was  to  be  the  only  food  of  any  creature. 

Ufjt  to  those  who  will  believe  a  snake  was  the  animal,  we 
ask  :  does  the  snake,  of  any  kind,  subsist  on  dust  ?  We  answer, 
no  : — as  flesh,  living  flesh  is  the  food  of  all  the  serpent  tribes,  or 
otherwise,  they  e&t  nothing :  but  upon  this,  they  feed,  even  to 
surfeiting,  so  as  to  disable  them  from  crawling, — exceeding  ail 
bounds,  except  their  own  unconscionable  stomachs. 

This  fact  is  of  itself  sufficient,  without  one  additional  reason 
to  veto  the  idea  of  the  creature  having  been  a  serpent,— such  as 
is  commonly  supposed.  But,  whatever  this  subtilist  beast,  or 
Bchcma  of  all  the  field,  or  world,  was  ;  we  cannot  suppose  with 
some,  who  are  of  great  account  in  the  learned  world,  that  it  had 
naturally,  the  power  of  speech.  The  power  of  speech,  so  as  to 
articulate  words,  conveying  distinct  ideas,  supposes  the  presence 
of  a  rational  soul,  and  of  an  intellectual  mind, — which  great  and 
ifr.  is  denied  to  all  brute  existences.  It  is  true,  how- 
ever, that  the  animal  in  question,  was  found  holding  a  conversa- 
tion by  articulate  sounds,  and  intellectual  reasoning,  with  the  first 
woman:  which  at  once  proves  it  was  inspired  by  some  power 
superior  to  itself,  which  we  believe  to  have  been  a  bad.  or  evil 
power,  and  such  an  evil  power  as  the  Scriptures  are  commonly 
understood  to  assign  to  the  nature  of  the  devil, — whose  character, 
and  .('iug,  we  shall  in  due  time  and  order  examine.  If  we  admit 
the  animal  had  naturally,  the  ability  of  reasoning,  and  gift  of 
speech;  we  at  once  plunge  into  a  number  of  strange  absurdities, 
no  less  amn  ing  than  foolish.  The  first  absurdity,  is :  we  are 
pr  »  nl  d  with  an  instance  of  a  men"  brute,  having  a  reasonable 
soul,-  or  it  could  not  have  been  capable  of  articulate  speech, — 
and  consequently  of  rational  thought,  and  powers  of  argumenta- 
tion. A  second  absurdity,  is :  we  are  presented  with  a  dumb 
beast,  which  knew  far  more  of  the  Law  cf  God,  and  of  the  con 
•  •  •  f  breaking  it.  than  even  the  man  and  woman — as 
■jfirfct  asth<  of  whom  it  is  said  in  Scripture,  that  ho 

was  created,  head  and  superior,  of  all  the  works  of  God,  belong- 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

ing  to  the  earth  ;  but  this  animal  knew  more,  on  the  abstruse 
points  of  moral  law,  than  both  of  them  together.  A  third  absur- 
dity follows  on  this  supposition,  which  is  this:  the  animal,  and 
consequently  its  whole  race,  were  very  likely  to  have  become  the 
teachers  and  monitors,  of  the  human  "family,  as  we  see  they  had, 
in  the  instance  of  this  leading  animal,  already  commenced  a 
course  of  instruction,  even  on  theology,  when  as  yet,  the  two 
first  of  the  human  race,  were  in  a  state  of  sinless  perfection.  But 
if  we  believe  some  evil  being,  such  as  the  Scriptures  make  Satan 
to  be,  entered  into  the  organs  of  the  animal's  brain,  and  influenced 
it  for  the  tims  being,  causing  it  to  utter  words,  accompanied  with 
accurate  reasoning  powers,  then  we  avoid  the  foregoing  difficul- 
ties and  absurdities. 

But  Universalists  however,  deny  that  there  was  any  animal 
in  the  case,  interpreting  the  whole  affair,  as  descriptive  of  what 
they  call  the  lusts  of  Eve,  even  before  she  had  sinned.  But  as 
we  shall  have  much  to  say  on  this  subject,  before  we  finish  the 
work,  we  desist  for  the  present,  and  bring  forward  in  our  next 
chapter,  an  account  of  serpents,  and  the  arguments  in  favor  of  one 
of  the  species,  having  been  the  instrument  of  Satan  in  deceiving 
Eve,  according  to  the  popular  opinion — instead  cf  an  Grang- 


er gvmenis  and  Ancient  Tradition  which  go  to  prove,  in  the 
estimation  of  many,  that  a  Snake  urns  the  Animal  of  the 
Text  of  Moses,  made  use  of  as  an  Instrument  by  Satan  io 
deceive  the  First  Woman,  preluded  by  the  opinion  of  Mil- 
tan  on  that  subject,  as  expressed  in  kis  Paradise  Lost. 

But  notwithstanding  the  foregoing  remarks,  respecting  the 
identity  of  the  animal  called  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  the  subtilist 
beast  of  all  the  field,  we  shall  in  this  chapter,  introduce  to  the 
reader's  notice,  other  opinions,  respecting  that  matter.  The 
popular,  though  in  all  probability,  erroneous  belief,  that  a  snake 
was  the  instrument,  by  which  Satan  ruined  our  common  parents, 
has  obtained  in  all  ages,  and  has  spread  abroad  on  the  wide 
wings  of  tradition,  and  ilown  to  the  ends  of  the  world :  as  all 
nations  have  in  some  shape,  accounts  of  the  seduction  of  the  first 
woman,  by  a  serpent,  which  tradition  has  obtained,  even  among 
the  aboriginal  Indians  of  both  South  and  North  America.  Hum- 
boldt, in  his  researches  in  Mexico,  found  in  their  parchment 
hooks,  the  story  of  that  occurrence,  recorded  by  a  picture  paint- 
ing, which  exhibits  a  serpent,  standing  on  the  extreme  point,  or 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  29 

end  of  its  tail,  in  the  act  of  conversing  with  a  woman,  by  vibra- 
ting its  forked  tongue. 

Upon  the  supposition  of  the  animal  having  been  a  snake,  Mil- 
ton, the  prince  of  poets,  has  beautifully  told  the  story,  in  blank 
verse,  in  his  Paradise  Lost,  which  we  will  here  briefly  repeat 
in  prose.  From  this  writer's  views,  it  appears,  that  after  the  fall 
of  the  angels, — who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  and  had  seconded 
the  rebellion  of  Lucifer,  and  had  been  cast  down  from  heaven  to 
hell,  with  their  great  chief:  that  he  made  his  escape  from  this 
prison,. — which  is  situated  somewhere  in  space,  far  beyond  the 
bounds  of  the  rest  of  creation, — and  found  his  way  to  the  Sun, 
where  he  seems  to  have  halted  awhile  in  his  flight,  for  the  purpose 
of  observation.  From  so  conspicuous  a  place,  he  viewed  the 
several  planets,  or  worlds,  which  roll  in  their  orbits  around 
the  sun.  And  now  remembering  an  ancient  prophecy  once 
rumored  among  the  angels  of  heaven,  before  his  fall,  that  a  cer- 
tain world  was  to  be  created,  which  should  be  inhabited  by  a 
race  of  beings,  extremely  singular,  who  were  to  be  endowed  with. 
corporeal  bodies,  of  a  peculiar  shape,  and  with  minds,  but  little 
mferior  to  themselves,  and  were  to  be  beloved  by  the  Creator,  in  o 
very  tender  degree.  But  which  of  the  worlds,  then  in  view,  was 
die  one,  he  could  not  make  out:  or  whether  it  belonged  to  the 
family  of  the  sun,  on  which  he  then  stood,  as  there  were  others 
in  sight,  rolling  through  the  vast  ocean  of  space.  But  from  this 
dilemma  of  uncertainty,  respecting  the  exact  globe  which  con- 
tained the  singular  race  called  man,  he  was  relieved  by  the  sud- 
den appearance  of  a  youthful  angel,  who  came  flying  on  the 
easy  pinions  of  excursive  discovery,  among  the  works  of  God. 
Of  this  youthful  angel,  Satan  was  resolved  to  enquire  :  but  first, 
in  a  twinkling  of  light,  before  he  should  be  discovered  by  the 
journeying  seraph,  he  changed  his  shape  and  habiliments,  from 
those  of  a  thunder-scarred,  and  hell-burnt  fugitive,  with  shorn 
and  sooty  wings,  to  those  of  a  stripling  angel,  clothed  with  the 
bright  and  happy  rays  of  heaven.     (See  the  Plate.) 

This  done,  Satan  by  a  flutter  of  his  wings,  attracted  the  ear  of 
the  heavenly  traveller,  who  in  a  moment,  from  celestiai  courtsey, 
let  fall  his  gorgeous  wings — which  from  his  shoulders  to  his  feet, 
clad  him  round  with  a  starry  brightness, — and  bowed  him  low, 
as  heavenly  spirits  are  wont  to  do,  when  they  meet.  But  Satan, 
not  a  whit  behind  in  good  manners,  being  thus  compelled  by 
his  own  duplicity,  also  bowed  in  return.  Compliments  being 
ended,  Satan,  with  submissive  voice,  as  became  his  seeming 
youth,  enquired  which  of  all  the  worlds  in  sight,  was  the  abode  of 
man,  as  much  he  said,  he  wished  to  sec  and  to  admire  this  late 
display  of  creative  power  and  wisdom.  The  angel  which  he 
here  fell  in  with,  was  according  to  Milton,  Uriel,  one  of  the  seven 
swift  winged  ministers  of  the  throne  of  God,  who  were  ever  ready 

3 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

to  bear  the  commands  of  the  Eternal  to  all  worlds  ;  who  stood  in 
waiting,  in  an  attitude  of  heavenly  condescension,  to  the  enqui- 
ring seraph,  as  in  a  moment  he  pointed  out  our  globe ;  when  each 
waving  a  hand  in  token  of  departure,  they  spread  their  wings 
aloft;  Uriel  onward  shot,  as  from  his  pinions  there  went  forth  a 
sweet  perfume,  filling  a  wide  circuit  of  the  sky;  while  Satan, 
plunged  him  headlong  down  to  the  ecliptic,  nor  stayed  his  rapid 
flight  till  his  feet  stood  on  the  summit  of  a  blooming  mountain, 
in  the  very  circuit  of  Paradise. 

He  now  betook  himself  to  the  task  of  ascertaining  the  habitation 
of  those  singular  beings :  whom  he  soon  descried  in  a  beautiful 
bower,  laden"  with  fruit,  and  that  they  were  male  and  female,  a 
condition  to  Satan,  wholly  till  now,  unknown.  He  now  disap- 
peared, or  became  invisible,  and  stood  beside  them  unseen,  and 
listened  to  their  conversation :  by  which  he  learned  their  moral 
condition,  and  that  they  were  under  restraint  in  one — and  but 
one  particular,  and  this  was  respecting  a  certain  tree,  and  its 
fruit,  which  he  found  was  forbidden  them,  and  was  meant  as  a 
test  of  love  and  obedience,  while  all  things  else  beneath  the 
whole  heaven  was  theirs  to  enjoy.  On  the  forehead  of  the  man, 
and  on  his  limbs,  was  seen  and  known  the  stamp  of  God-like 
work,  though  formed  of  matter,  a  thing  till  now  never  conceived 
of  by  this  sining  angel.  But  most  of  all,  there  burned  the  mild 
fires  of  heavenly  origin  in  the  eyes  of  Adam,  beaming  forth  in 
serene,  but  commanding  majesty,  the  very  image  of  the  invisible 
God,  as  it  was  there  he  met  the  heaven-abashing  power  of  high 
and  holy  intelligence  in  its  brilliancy,  though  connected  with 
unthinking  matter.  There  was  also  the  companion  of  Adam,  a 
female  glowing  in  holy  beauty,  fearful  to  look  upon,  so  bright 
and  fulgent  were  the  glories  of  her  person,  which  was  shaded 
to  the  feet,  with  shining  golden  locks,  full  and  redundant,  as  the 
rays  of  a  morning  sun,  which  played  in  the  softly  moving  winds, 
like  the  very  fibres  of  life,  in  joyous  assemblage.  She  also  was 
formed  as  man,  but  more  soft  and  tenderly  made,  in  every  limb 
and  feature,  while  in  her  eyes,  there  was  the  heaven  of  mildness, 
pouring  forth  their  beams,  as  the  fountains  of  life,  beneath  the 
sapphire  throne  of  bliss.  He  heard  them  commune  of  joys: 
while  each  turned  on  the  other  looks  of  sweetness,  beyond  com- 
pare ;  this  moved  his  malice  and  hatred,  which  as  a  hell  of 
moulten  iron  within  his  heart,  raged  a  tempest ;  when  Satan 
resolved  their  ruin,  and  straightway  put  in  requisition  all  his 
wiles,  as  he  knew  they  could  not  be  destroyed,  except  by  being 
induced  to  disobey  that  one  only  law,  or  prohibition,  of  the  tree 
and  its  fruit.  Wherefore,  it  was  not  long  ere  he  discovered  the 
Scrpe?il,  or  snake  to  be  the  subtilist  beast  of  all  the  field,  or  ani- 
mals of  the  earth,  and  having  found  one  of  a  prodigious  size, 
and  withal  exceedingly  beautiful,  being  covered  with  green  and 
gold,  striped  and  spotted  with  every  shade  and  hue  of  the  rain- 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  31 

bow,  or  that  tips  the  wings  of  beauteous  fowls,  and  flowers  of 
earth,  so  ransrod  and  mingled,  that  it  seemed  a  creature  fit  to  be 
irazed  upon  even  by  angels,  into  this  serpent,  in  a  moment  .Satan 
transfused  himself,  being  a  spirit,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  brain  : 
by  which  he  soon  gave  tone  to  the  organs  of  the  creature,  so  that 
speech  rolled  as  fluently  from  his  fiery  tongue,  as  from  the  lips 
<>f  five  herself.  But  according  to  this  author,  the  incomparabl< 
Milton,  the  serpent  was  not  then  as  now,  prone  on  the  ground, 
winding  its  way  over  the  earth  like  a  contemptible  worm,  dragging 
its  snakey  folds  far  behind  ;  but  Mas  formed  in  a  roil,  a  tower  oi 
rising  folds,  like  a  cable  to  some  stately  ship,  which  the  sailor 
bends  in  a  ring,  on  the  ample  deek  of  a  man  o(  war.  while  its 
head,  with  eyes  of  carbuncle  or  diamond,  towered  aloft,  viewing 
all  things  far  and  wide,  privileged  in  this  respect  also,  as  in  the 
gift  of  cunning,  above  all  the  other  beasts.  Its  motion,  in  this 
form,  was  rapid  as  the  whirlwind,  moving  round  and  round,  on 
its  own  base,  with  a  quivering  velocity,  and  seemed  a  rushing 
flame,  while  its  head  on  high,  kept  its  course,  with  eyes  so  bright 
and  sparkling,  that  stars  .seemed  to  leap  forth  on  the  air,  as  the 
creature  in  its  swiftness,  rushed  over  the  plains. 

Such  was  the  animal,  and  such  the  original  manner  of  its  mo- 
tions, till  God,  by  the  curse,  •'•  on  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,"  (creep) 
straightened  it  on  the  ground,  according  to  Milton.  By  which 
we  certainly  think  the  creature  was  the  gainer,  as  its  present  mode 
of  moving  is  far  better  adapted  to  pass  over  rough  ground,  water 
or  marshy  places  and  mountainous  districts,  than  in  its  upright 
ojr  pyramidal  form.     (See  the  plate.) 

We  have  said  a  few  pages  since,  that  the  tradition  of  all  na 
tions,  favors  the  belief  that  the  animal  was  a  snake,  which  Satan 
made  use  of  to  deceive  the  first  woman,  and  this  we  now  proceed 
to  show.  But  whether  it  should  be  allowed  to  prove  any  thing, 
as  to  its  real  identity,  must  be  left  to  the  reader  after  all.  On  this 
curious  subject,  under  the  head  serpent,  see  Watson's  Theo- 
logical Dictionary,  1832,  as  follows: — "In  Egypt  and  other 
oriental  countries  a  serpent  was  the  common  symbol  of  a  power- 
ful monarch  ;  it  was  embroidered  on  the  robes  of  princes,  and 
blazoned  on  their  diadems,  to  signify  their  power  and  invineibl< 
might,  and  that  as  the  wound  inflicted  by  the  basilisk  is  incu- 
rable, so  the  fatal  effects  of  the  displeasure  of  kings  were  neither 
to  be  avoided  nor  endured.  The  basilisk  is  of  a  redish  color,  and 
its  head  is  adorned  with  a  crown  in  the  form  of  a  cone  of  a  briglut 
yellow;  it  is  not  entirely  prostrate,  like  other  serpents,  but  runs 
with  its  head  and  half  its  body  erect,  the  hinder  part  sweeping 
the  ground  as  it  moves.  On  these  accounts,  its  crown  and  haff 
erect  position,  the  symbol  of  this  serpent  was  preferred  to  all  crea- 
tures, as  a  token  of  regal  power.  This  fact  is  attested  by  the 
Arabian  name  of  this  serpent,  which  is  melceha,  from  the  Hebrew 
verb  malach.  to  reign  ;  and  was  therefore  considered  the  king 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  serpents.  In  agreement  with  which,  it  is  said  that  all  other 
serpents  acknowledge  the  superiority  of  the  basilisk,  by  flying  its 
presence,  and  hiding  from  its  sight.  This  serpent  is  supposed  to 
live  longer  than  any  other.  The  ancient  heathen  have  therefore 
pronounced  it  immortal,  and  placed  it  among  the  number  of  their 
gods.  This  species  of  serpent,  it  appears,  is  still  found  in  the 
mountains  of  India,  growing  to  a  great  size,  covered  with  scales, 
resplendant  with  burnished  gold,  having  a  kind  of  beard  hanging 
from  their  lower  jaw,  which  renders  their  aspect  exceedingly 
frightful,  whilo  they  have  a  cry,  shrill  and  fearful/'  a  circum- 
stance attending  no  other  serpent  in  being,  as  the  voice  of  the  ser- 
pent species,  except  this,  is  but  a  hiss..  "  The  trait  which  distin- 
guishes this  dreadful  serpent  as  belonging  to  the  basilisk  family, 
is  its  crown  of  bright  yellow/'  growing  on  its  head  in  the  manner 
of  the  dung  hill  cock,.  <*  with  a_  protuberance  projecting  out  besioV 
it  as  red  as  a  burning  coal."     {/See  the  plate!) 

There  are  other  serpents  of  India  which  are  very  dreadful, 
among  which  are  the  great  li-boa  and  anaconda,  the  real  drag. 
ons  of  the  ancients.  "  To  these  serpents  rites  were  devised,  tem- 
ples built  to  their  honor,,  and  priests  appointed  to-  conduct  the 
ceremonies  of  their  worship.  These  miserable  idolators,  appeared 
before  the  altars  of  their  serpent  deities  in  gorgeous  vestments, 
their  heads  arrayed  with  real  serpents,  or  with  the  figures  of 
Serpents,  embroidered  on  their  tiaras,  while  with. frantic  exclama- 
tions they  cried  out,.  Eva  !  Eva  !  which  exclamation  is  thought 
by  some  to  have  been  in  evident  allusion*  to  the  triumph,  the  old 
serpent,  the  devil,  obtained  over  our  first  mother  Eve.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  some  do  not  doubt,  but  the  snake  was  indeed  the 
very  instrument  of  Satan  ;  and  in  pursuance  of  this  idea  they  sup- 
pose the  evil  spirit  was  permitted. to  insuit  our  fallen  race,  by  exalt- 
ing the  serpent,  his  chosen  instrument  in  accomplishing  our  ruin.. 
to  the  first  place  among  the  deities  of  the  heathen  world,  and  to  be 
reverenced  by  the  most  sober  and  solemn  acts  of  worship.  The 
figures  of  serpents  adorned  the  portals  of  the  proudest  temples  of 
the  east :  the  serpent  was  a  very  common  symbol  of  the  sun,  and 
i;>  represented  biting  its  own  tail  with  its  body  formed  in  a  circle, 
in  order  to  indicate  the  ordinary  course  of  this  luminary,  and 
under  this  form,  it  was  an  emblem  of  both  time  and  eternity.  A 
serpent  was  the  symbol  of  medicine,  and  of  the  gods  which  pre- 
-  sided  over  it,  as  of  Apollo  and  Esculapius.  Inmost  of  the  an- 
cient rites  is  found  some  allusion  to  the  serpent  under  the  titles 
of  Ob,  Ops,  Python,  &c.  In  the  orgies  of  Bacchus,  says  Bry- 
ant, the  persons  who  partook  of  the  ceremonies,  used  to  carry 
serpents  in  their  hands,  and  with  horrid  screams  call  out  Eva, 
Eva ;  being  according  to  the  author  just  named,  the  same  as 
Epha,  or  Opha,  which  the  Greeks  rendered  Ophis,  denoting  i\ 
serpent ;  but  having  no  allusion  to  Eve  as  supposed  by  some. 

These  ceremonies,  and  this  serpent  worship,  began  among  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  35 

Magi,  who  were  the  sons  of  Cash,  the  children  of //am,  the 
son  of  Noah,  and  by  them  was  propagated  in  various  parts  of  the 
world.  Wherever  this  people  founded  any  place  of  worship,  and 
introduced  their  rites,  there  was  generally  some  horrid  story  of  a 
serpent.  There  was  a  legend  of  a  serpent  at  Colchis,  in  Egypt, 
at  Thebes,  in  the  same  country,  and  at  otlier  places.  The 
Greeks  called  Apollo  himself,  Pythian,  (the  destroyer  of  a  mon- 
strous serpent  bred  in  tlte  mud  of  the  deluge,)  which  is  the  same 
as  oupis,  oroub,  and  is  a  serpent.  In  Egypt  there  was  a  ser- 
])cnt  named  Thermutlds,  which  was  looked  upon  as  very  sacred, 
the  likeness  of  which  the  natives  are  said  to  have  used  as  a  royal 
tiara,  with  which  they  ornamented  the  statues  of  Isis,  their  ox 
god.  The  kings  of  Egypt  wore  high  bonnets  terminating  in  a 
round  ball,  surrounded  with  figures  of  asps ;  their  priests  also 
had  the  figures  of  serpents  on  their  bonnets/'  which  they  wore 
in  the  temples  of  their  gods. 

"  Abaddon,  the  destroyer,  mentioned  in  Rev.  ix.  11,  as  a  name 
of  the  4evil,  is  supposed  by  Mr.  Bryant  to  have  been  the  name 
of  the  ophite,  or  snake  god,  with  whose  worship  die  world  had 
}>een  long  infested.  This  worship  began  among  the  people  of 
Chaldea,  who  built  the  city  of  Ophis,  [or  snake  city]  on  the  river 
Tigris,  and  were  greatly  addicted  to  divination,  and  the  worship 
of  serpents.  From  Chaldea  this  worship  passed  into  Egypt, 
where  the  serpent  deity  was  called  Canoph,  Caneph,  and  C'neph. 
it  also  had  the  name  of  Ob,  or  Oub,  and  was  the  same  as  Basi- 
lisk, or  Basiliscus,  the  same  as  the  Egyptian  Thermuthis,  and 
made  use  of  by  way  of  ornament  to  the  statues  of  their  gods. 
As  the  worship  of  the  serpent  began  among  the  sons  of  Cush," 
the  father  of  the  African  or  Negro  nations,  the  descendants  of 
Ham,  "  Mr.  Bryant  conjectures  that  from  thence  they  were  de- 
nominated Ethiopians,  and  Athiopians,  from  Alh-ope,  or  Ath- 
cpes,  the  god  whom  they  worshipped,  and  not  from  their  com- 
plexion. The  Ethiopians  brought  their  rites  into  Greece,  and 
< -ailed  the  island  where  they  first  established  themselves,  Elo- 
phia  Solis  Serpentis  insxda ;  the  same  with  Euboea  orOu- 
boia,  that  is,  the  Serpent  island,  or  where  the  ophis,  or  snakes, 
were  worshipped.  The  same  learned  writer  discovers  traces  of 
the  serpent  worship  among  the  Hyperboreans,  at  Rhodes,  in 
what  is  now  called  France,  named  Ophiusa,  in  Phrygia,  and 
upon  the  Hellespont,  in  the  island  of  Cyprus,  in  Crete,  among 
the  Athenians,  in  the  name  of  Cecrops,  among  the  natives  of 
Thebes,  in  Baitia,  among  the  Lacedemonians,  in  Italy,  in  Syria, 
vfcc.  and  in  the  names  of  many  places,  as  well  as  people,  where 
the  Ophites  settled. 

One  of  the  earliest  heresies  introduced  into  the  Christian 
ehurch  was  that  of  the  Ophites  who  held  serpents  as  emblematical 
of  supernatural  power,  the  traits  of  which  are  still  seen  on  many 
of  their  medals,  the  relics  of  Gnosticism,  which  are  still  extant-, 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN" 

specimens  of  which  are  shown  toward  the  close  of  this  work,  m 
fac  similie. 

The  form  assumed,  or  animal  used  by  the  tempter,  when  hr 
seduced  our  first  parents,  has  been  handed  down  in  the  traditions 
of  the  most  ancient  nations;  and  though  animals  of  the  serpent 
tribes  were  generally  worshipped  by  the  pngans,  as  symbols  of 
the  agaihademon,  they  were  likewise  considered  the  types  of 
figures  of  the  evil  being.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  accounts 
of  the  primeval  tempter,  under  the  shape  of  a  serpent,  occurs  in 
the  Zendavesta  of  the  ancient  Persians,  a  book  on  theology  and 
the  worship  of  the  gods.  The  dragon,  or  Ah-riman  of  the  Per- 
sians, and  the  malignant  serpent  Caliga  of  Hindoo  theology, 
appear  to  be  closely  allied.  This  dragon  of  the  Persians  is  rep 
resented  as  the  decided  enemy  of  the  mediatorial  god,  whom  be 
persecutes  with  the  utmost  fury  :  though,  as  the  Zendavesla 
teaches,  he  is  finally  to  be  vanquished  by  his  celestial  opponent, 
the  mediatorial  god."  But  from  whom  did  the  Persians  derive 
their  idea  of  a  mediator  1  We  answer,  from  Melchisadec,  the  son 
of  Noah. 

"  The  serpent  Typhon,  of  the  Egyptians,  who  is  sometimes 
identified  with  the  ocean,  because  the  deluge  was  esteemed  as 
the  work  of  the  evil  being,  and  the  serpent  Python,  or  Apolyon. 
of  the  Greeks,  who  is  evidently  the  same  as  that  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, appear  to  have  the  same  origin,  which  was  a  tradition  of 
the  form  which  Satan  assumed  when  in  Paradise.  Perhaps  also 
the  belief  that  the  serpent  Python  or  Typhon  was  once  ora- 
cular, or  had  a  human  voice,  which  caused  the  so  frequent  use 
of  serpents  in  their  rites  of  divination,  arose  from  a  tradition  of 
the  vocal  responses  which  the  tempter  gave  to  Eve,  under  the 
borrowed  form  of  the  serpent.  We  may  still  ascribe  to  the  same 
source,  that  rebellious  serpent,  whose  treason  seems  to  have 
been  so  well  remembered  among  the  inhabitants  of  Syria. 
Pherecydes,  a  native  of  Syria,  bestows  upon  him  the  Greek 
name  of  Ophioneus,  or  the  serpent  god ;  yet  extends  his  view  of 
him,  under  the  name  of  Ophioneus,  as  being  the  prince  of  those 
evil  spirits  who  once  contended  with  the  supreme  god,  Cronus, 
who  cast  them  out  of  heaven.  Their  happiness  being  thus  justly 
forfeited,  they  henceforth  were  plunged  into  the  depths  of  Tar- 
tarus, in  the  fiery  bowels  of  the  deep,  hateful  and  hating  each 
other. 

From  Syria  and  the  east,  this  history  passed  into  Greece,  miiK 
gled,  however,  with  allusions  to  the  deluge.  The  same  evil 
being,  in  the  same  form,  appears  again  in  the  mythology  of  the 
Goths,  or  Sythians.  We  are  told  by  the  ancient  scalds,  or  bardsv 
that  the  evil  being,  whom  they  denominate  Loke,  unites  groat 
personal  beauty  with  a  malignant  and  inconstant  nature ;  sur- 
passing all  creatures  in  the  depths  of  his  cunning  and  perfid\\ 
Here  the  primitive  glory  and  majesty  of  Satan,  before  the  linea  . 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  37 

ments  of  celestial  beauty  were  defaced,  by  his  rebellious  aposta- 
cy,  is  not  obscurely  alluded  to  ;  while  the  craft  and  malevolence 
which  marks  his  character  as  a  fallen  angel,  are  depicted  with 
sufficient  accuracy."  Thus  we  have  shown  that  the  worship  of 
serpents  may  be  traced  in  almost  every  religion,  through  ancient 
Asia,  Europe,  and  Africa.  From  which  we  derive  at  least  this 
great  fact  :  that  the  traditions  of  all  ages  and  nations  of  the  earth, 
corroborate  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  fall  of  man,  by  the 
machinations  of  an  evil  spirit  in  the  disguise  of  some  animal; 
which  it  is  true,  this  tradition  seems  to  point  out  as  having  been 
some  monstrous  Serpent,  Snake  or  Dragon. 

But  if  the  word  Nachash,  in  the  text  of  Moses,  does  not  mean 
definitely  the  Ophi,  or  snake,  the  whole  foregoing  history  goes 
for  nothing:  so  far  as  it  regards  proof,  as  to  the  identity  of  the 
animal  Satan  made  use  of  on  the  occasion  of  man's  ruin.  But  if 
a  snake  was  not  the  creature, — How  then,  it  may  be  enquired, 
came  this  universal  tradition  in  existence?  How  is  it  that  this 
opinion  has  seemed  to  prevail  in  the  earliest  ages,  and  handed 
the  serpe2it  down  to  posterity,  as  the  identical  animal  which 
opposed  the  good  being,  the  mediatorial,  or  redeeming  god. 
and  secured  the  worship  and  veneration  of  men  ?  To  this  we 
answer  ;  its  worship  may  have  been  induced  from  its  native  hor- 
ror of  aspect ;  its  deadly  power  of  poisoning,  by  a  sting  of  its 
fangs  ;  its  insiduous  and  silent  manner  of  approach,  so  that  ere 
its  victim  is  aware,  death,  in  the  form  of  a  terrific  serpent,  has 
stung  life  away,  in  dreadful  agonies.  No  creature  which  God 
has  made,  is  so  universally  dreaded,  and  so  formidable,  as  the 
serpent,  especially  the  larger  kinds,  such  as  the  boa,  the  anacon- 
da, and  the  crested  basiliscus  of  India.  On  these  accounts,  this 
species  of  animal,  as  we  have  seen,  became  early  in  time,  the 
symbols  of  power,  of  terror,  and  of  death,  on  the  brows  of  kings 
and  priests,  and  were  chosen  badges  of  authority,  of  royalty,  and 
of  rule  among  men.  From  this  circumstance,  the  transition 
was  easy,  to  that  of  a  higher  cast,  even  veneration,  worship, 
and  deification,  which  have  been  bestowed  on  less  fearful  ani- 
mals and  for  smaller  reasons,  among  barbarous  and  ignorant 
nations.  But  can  this  circumstance  account  for  the  belief  which 
prevailed  in  the  world  even  before  Moses  wrote  the  book  of  Gen- 
esis, that  the  serpent  was  the  animal  which  Satan  made  use  ot 
in  the  ruin  of  man.  We  think  it  can:  and  on  this  principle, 
which  was,  that  the  serpent  was  then  considered  as  the  xoorst 
creature  in  the  whole  creation,  and  therefore,  exactly  fit  for  the 
worst  spirit  in  being,  to  make  use  of,  in  a  work  so  ruinous :  on 
which  account  it  was  not  hard  to  slide  into  this  belief,  after  the 
time  of  the  flood,  and  the  history  of  it  retained  only  by  tradition, 
in  the  keeping  of  wandering  families,  and  tribes. 

As  to  the  subtilty  of  serpents,  there  is  no  evidence  with  which 
we  are  acquainted,  unless  it  be  their  courage,  their  fierceness, 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

their  voracity,  their  power  to  charm,  or  fascinate,  and  their  abil- 
ity to  inspire  horror.  That  they  manifest  art  and  calculation — 
especially  those  large  serpents  of  the  tropical  countries— in  secu- 
ring prey,  is  not  denied  ;  but  as  much  can  be  asserted  of  all  kinds 
of  animals.  Of  these  kinds,  their  strength  is  irresistable,  when 
brought  in  competition  with  any  other  creature,  and  their  cour- 
age equal  to  their  strength,  as  they  will  not  turn  aside  for  the 
fiercest  tiger,  elephant,  leopard,  or  human  being  •  nay,  they  all 
flee  its  sight  in  the  utmost  consternation.  When  one  of  these 
creatures  has  seized  its  victim,  even  though  it  be  a  tiger  of  the 
largest  size,  it  never  lets  go  its  hold,  though  the  struggle  continue 
for  days  before  it  gets  the  victory.  Its  management  during  such 
contests,  its  patience  till  it  has  the  mastery,  the  advantage  it 
secures  over  its  victim  at  every  struggle,  certainly  shows  the 
creature's  calculation :  but  as  much  may  be  said  of  any  other 
animal.  There  is,  it  is  true,  a  terrific  majesty  in  the  appearance 
and  demeanour  of  a  large  serpent,  as  whoever  has  met  with  a 
rattlesnake,  can  testify,  This  serpent  will  not  precipitately  flee 
when  discovered^  but  if  it  moves  at  all,  its  motions  are  at  its  leis- 
ure, maintaining  a  grave  majesty  as  it  views  its  disturber,  with 
a  sideway  look,  as  if  ascertaining  the  nature  of  its  enemy,  as  it 
retires  from  sight..  Its  manners  in  this  respect  may  be  compared 
to  the  lion,  which  maintains  its  majesty  by  its  slow  and  consid- 
erate attitudes,  when  suddenly  aroused  from  its  lair. 

But  before  we  leave  this  subject,  we  will  give  several  accounts 
of  the  larger  animals  of  the  serpent  species,  as  known  in  the  trop- 
ical countries  of  the  old  world.  "  Not  many  years  since,  Mr. 
Edwards,  the  English  resident  in  the  Island  of  Ceylon,  saw  there 
a  serpent  which  measured  thirty-three  feet  four  inches.  It  was 
covered  with  scales,  ridged,  or  partly  elevated  along  the  back. 
Its  head  was  of  a  green  color,  with  large  black  spots,  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  yellow  streaks  around  the  jaws,  and  a  yellow  circle,  like 
a  golden  collar  around  his  neck,  and  behind  that  a  black  spot. 
Its  head  was  flatish,  and  broad,  its  eyes  monstrously  large,  very 
bright  and  terrible.  Its  sides  were  of  a  dusky  olive  color.  Its 
back  was  very  beautiful,  a  broad  streak  of  yellow  curled  and 
waved  at  the  sides  ;  along  the  edges  of  this,  ran  a  narrow  streak 
of  flesh  color,  on  the  outsides  of  which  was  a  broad  streak  of  a 
bright  yellow,  waved,  colored  and  spotted  at  small  distances,  with 
roundish  and  long  blotches,  of  a  blood  color.  When  it  moved 
in  the  sun,  it  appeared  exquisitely  beautiful.  It  had  coiled 
itself  among  the  branches  of  a  large  palm  tree,  watching  for 
its  prey ;  when,  not  long  after,  there  passed  beneath  it  a  crea- 
ture of  the  fox  kind,  when  it  darted  down  as  swift  as  a  ray  of 
light,  seized  it,  broke  its  bones,  and  soon  swallowed  it ;  when 
it  again  resumed  its  place  among  the  boughs  of  the  tree,  where 
it  remained  during  the  night,  which  circumstance  was  known 
from  what  transpired  in  the  morning ;  which  was  as  follows : — 


ANGEL8  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  39 

The  sun  was  but  a  little  way  up,  when  there  passed  on  its  way 
beneath  the  fatal  tree,  a  tiger,  about  the  size  of  a  yearling  heifer, 
which  was  no  sooner  exactly  beneath  the  serpent,  and  within 
its  reach,  than  he  darted  down,  seized  the  animal  by  the  back 
with  his  teeth,  at  the  same  time  twining  itself  several  times 
around  its  body.  It  then  loosened  its  teeth  from  the  tiger's 
back,  and  griped  its  entire  head  in  its  mouth,  tearing,  grinding 
and  choking  it  all  at  once,  while  the  furious  tiger  resisted  and 
fought  to  the  utmost  of  its  power.  But  finding  it  hard  to  con- 
quer, and  the  bones  not  easily  broken,  it  had  recourse  to  strata- 
gem ;  which  was  to  wind  its  tail  around  the  tiger's  neck,  and 
drag  him  to  the  tree,  against  which  the  serpent  leaned  its 
victim,  when  it  darted  its  coils  several  times  round  both  the  tiger 
and  the  tree,  crushing  him  against  it,  till  his  ribs  and  bones  were 
broken  and  bruised  to  pieces.  After  it  had  killed  the  tiger,  with 
inexpressible  torture,  of  about  a  day's  continuance,  the  serpent, 
during  the  night,  slavered  it  over  with  the  juices  of  its  tongue, 
and  the  day  following  swallowed  it  whole.  This  distended  its 
stomach  so  much  that  it  could  not  run  ;  when  Mr.  Edwaids  and 
several  of  the  islanders  assailed  and  killed  it.  Br  oxen's  Bible 
Dictionary.,  under  Hie  head  "Serpent? 

But  we  have  accounts  which  maybe  relied  on,  of  serpents  of  a 
much  greater  length,  amounting  even  to  eighty  and  a  hundred 
and  twenty  feet,  natives  of  Africa,  the  Indies,  and  of  the  tropical 
islands.  A  curious  and  thrilling  account  of  the  capture  of  one 
of  these  animals  in  Egypt  is  given  by  Diodorus  Siculus  who 
lived  in  the  time  of  Augustus  Caesar,  the  greatest  historian  of  the 
age.  u  A  number  of  hunters,  says  that  author,  encouraged  by 
the  munificent  offers  of  Ptolemy,  king  of  Egypt,  resolved  to  bring 
him  one  of  those  serpents  to  Alexandria.  This  enormous  reptile, 
thirty  cubits  long,  (which  is  fifty  feet)  lived  on  the  banks  of  a  cer- 
tain river,  the  Nile  it  is  likely.  There  he  dwelt,  reclined  upon 
the  ground,  near  his  cave ;  his  body  coiled  in  a  circle ;  but  when 
it  saw  any  animal  approach  the  bank  where  he  lay,  he  darted 
upon  it  with  dreadful  impetus,  seized  it  in  his  jaws,  or  strangled 
it  in  the  folds  of  his  tail.  The  hunters  descrying  him  from  a 
distance,  conceived  that  they  should  easily  succeed  in  taking  him 
alive  in  their  nets  and  load  him  with  chains.  They  advanced 
with  resolution,  but  when  they  were  come  within  a  short  distance 
of  the  huge  animal,  the  ferocious  glare  of  his  eyes,  his  rough  and 
scaly  hide,  the  noise  which  he  made  in  rousing  himself,  and  his 
£>pen  mouth  armed  with  long  and  curved  teeth,  inspired  them 
with  alarm.  They  ventured,  however,  to  approach,  step  by  step, 
till  so  near  as  to  throw  some  heavy  chains  upon  him ;  but  scarce- 
ly had  they  touched  the  monster,  when  he  turned  furiously 
round,  seized  the  nearest  hunter  in  his  mouth,  and  killed  another 
by  a  stroke  of  his  tail.  The  rest  now  fled  in  terror ;  but  being 
unwilling  to  forego  the  reward?  of  the  king,  they  invented  another 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

method  of  accomplishing  their  purpose.  They  made  a  net  of 
strong  ropes,  proportioned  in  size  to  that  of  the  serpent,  so  as  to 
hold  him  if  they  could  but  entangle  him  in  it.  To  accomplish 
this,  they  watched  a  time  when  he  left  his  cave  to  seek  for  prey, 
and  blocked  up  its  mouth  with  large  stones.  Then  at  a  lit- 
tle distance,  they  spread  the  net  over  a  space  of  ground,  and 
kept  themselves  as  silent  as  as  they  could,  till  the  serpents 
return,  when  he  found  his  abode  beset  by  a  host  of  armed 
men,  horses,  and  dogs.  At  first,  on  discovering  this,  the  mon- 
ster raised  his  head  to  a  great  height,  so  as  to  overlook  men, 
horses  and  all,  uttering  frightful  hissings.  But  being  intimida- 
ted at  the  great  number  of  his  foes,  and  as  the  darts  and  (iron) 
arrows,"  shot  from  steel  bows,  "  assailing  him  from  every  quar- 
ter, he  rushed  with  violence  to  the  entrance  of  his  cave.  But 
finding  this  blocked  up,  and  at  a  loss  how  to  escapo  from  the 
attack  of  the  hunters,  the  noise  of  their  trumpets  and  dogs,  he 
turned  to  flee,  or  to  fight,  when  they  drew  the  net  around  him, 
in  which  he  became  entangled,  and  soon  wearied  himself  with 
tremendous  efforts  to  break  through,  but  was  subdued,  and 
conveyed  to  Alexandria,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  popu- 
lace, where  he  was  kept  in  a  place  fited  up  for  his  reception.  If 
the  passion  of  anger  and  rage,  is  an  evidence  of  the  sublilty  of 
serpents,  then  have  they  the  pre-eminence  over  all  other  crea- 
tures, and  especially  the  boa,  the  anaconda,  with  the  crested  basi- 
liscus  of  India  ;  but  we  do  not  know  that  this  circumstance  is 
evidence. 

Now  a  serpent  of  either  of  these  kinds,  but  especially  the  ana- 
conda., as  it  is  the  longest  of  all  land  serpents,  rolling  or  whirling 
its  folds  in  a  pyramid  along  the  earth,  as  Milton  has  supposed, 
towering  on  high,  glittering  in  its  glory  of  maculated  splendor, 
would  not  be  an  unseemly  minister  of  the  arch  fiend,  whereby 
to  introduce  himself  to  Eve,  the  queen  of  the  earth,  and  of  the 
human  race,  on  a  business  which  was  to  determine  the  fates  of 
millions,  so  far  as  the  sufferings  of  this  life  was  concerned,  at  least. 

To  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  the  brilliant  thought  of  Milton, 
respecting  the  original  form  and  manner  of  the  moving  of  the 
serpent,  as  it  existed  on  the  plains  of  Paradise,  we  present  a  plate 
of  the  creature,  beneath  the  thick  boughs  of  a  tree,  around  which 
are  entwined  the  redundant  foliage  of  the  grape  vine,  laden  with 
fruit  as  large  as  apples.     (See  the  Plate.) 

But  as  it  respects  certainty  about  the  foregoing,  in  identifying 
the  true  animal  by  which  Eve  was  destroyed,  the  reador  will 
have  his  own  belief;  yet  the  writer  of  these  sheets  inclines 
to  the  opinion  that  it  was  the  Orang-outang,  because  that  crea- 
ture is  the  most  cunning,  the  most  artful,  and  the  most  subtil 
of  all  the  animals  of  the  globe,  and  approaches  nearer  to  man,  both 
in  intellect  and  form,  than  any  other  creature.  The  female 
suckles  her  young  at  the  breast,  holding  it  in  her  arms,  the  same 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  43 

as  a  woman  would  do.  fondling  it  with  equal  delight  and  endear- 
ment. 
As  a  powerful  evidence  that  the  serpent  was  the  animal  which 

Satan  made  use  of  on  the  oecasion  of  the  fall,  as  thought  by  many, 
is  the  circumstance  of  the  universal  terror  this  creature  inspires, 
when  met  with  hy  man ;  imagining  that  in  this  fact  is  fulfilled 
the  word  of  God,  which  was  addressed  to  the  serpent,  at  the  time 
he  was  judged,  in  the  garden  with  Adam  and  Eve  ;  which  was, 
-And  I  will  put  enmity  bet  ween  thee  and  the  woman,  and  be- 
tween thy  seed  and  her  seed,  it  (Christ)  shall  bruise  thy  head, 
(the  devil)  and  thou  (devil)  shait  bruise  his  (Christ's)  heel,"'  m 
death.  Christ  is  the  seed  here  meant,  which  was  emphatically  the 
seed  of  the  woman,  (Mary)  and  not  of  man  ;  which  cannot  be  said 
of  any  other  daughter  of  Adam's  race,  as  it  is  from  the  man  that 
[he  germinating  principle  of  human  existence  proceeds.  The 
enmity  therefore,  which  is  here  alluded  to,  was  to  exist  between 
Satan  and  Christ,  and  not  between  the  human  race  and  the 
race  of  snakes,  or  any  other  animal ;  as  it  is  said  in  scripture,  that 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  and 
to  bruise  Satan  under  the  feet  of  the  saints,  according  to  the 
New  Testament,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  shuddering  sen- 
sations felt  when  we  meet  "with  this  reptile.  But  Universalists 
believe  this  enmity  consisted  in  the  opposition  the  heavenly  man 
and  the  earthly  man  had  to  each  other  in  the  human  breast, 
when  first  created.  But  this  idea  is  exploded,  when  we  recollect 
that  God  could  never  have  been  the  author  of  two  contending 
powers  in  the  same  human  soul,  as  it  came  first  from  his  hand, 
the  one  an  enemy  to  all  righteousness,  and  the  other  consonant 
to  all  holiness ;  as  this  would  seem  to  be  a  conflict,  between  the 
powers  of  the  mind  and  the  passions,  set  on  foot  by  the  creator, 
for  no  other  purpose  than  man's  ruin. 

"Thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel: — this  is  understood  of  Christ, 
the  seed  of  the  woman.  His  keel  means,  first  his  Juimanity. 
whereby  lie  trod  upon  the  earth,  and  which  the  devil  by  the  in- 
strumentality of  wicked  men,  bruised  and  killed.  Second  his 
people,  his  members,  whom  Satan  in  divers  ways  bruises,  vexes, 
and  afflicts,  while  they  are  On  earth,  but  cannot  reach  either 
Christ  their  head  in  heaven,  or  themselves,  when  they  shall  1h> 
advanced  thither.  In  this  verse  therefore,  notice  is  given  of  a 
perpetual  quarrel  commenced  between  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
and  the  kingdom  of  the  devil,  among  men  ;  war  is  proclaimed 
l>etween  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent,  the 
devil."  Rev.  xii.  17.  Benson's  Commentary  on  Genesis, 
?>d  Chap. 

But  were  we  to  conclude,  that  the  word  of  God  in  the  above 
respect  is  fulfilled,  in  the  circumstance  of  the  inclination  we  feel 
to  kill  this  frightful  reptile  when  met  with,  and  the  inclination  of 
serpents  to  bite  whatever  ccmes  in  their  way,  we  do  not  perceive, 


44  IIISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

that  by  this,  any  great  thing  worthy  of  the  divine  foresight,  or  of 
use  to  man,  is  made  out ;  as  all  snakes  will  die  some  how  or  other, 
even  if  this  enmity  had  never  existed.  It  is  true  nevertheless, 
that  a  natural  enmity  exists  between  serpents  and  men,  and  also, 
between  the  serpent  tribes  and  all  other  animals  ;  but  wholly  on 
account  of  the  poison  fang  of  smaller  serpents  of  various  kinds, 
and  of  the  bone  breaking  power  of  the  larger,  which  have  not 
the  poison  teeth :  and  this  is  reason  enough,  without  superadding 
the  influence  of  Satan,  to  those  two  qualifications. 

Whoever  may  have  contemplated  a  serpent  of  the  larger  kinds, 
or  even  the  common  rattlesnake,  and  especially  its  head,  will 
bear  witness,  that  there  is  assembled  all  that  is  necessary  to  con- 
stitute horror,  to  freeze  the  blood,  to  paralize  courage,  and  to 
cower  the  fiercest  eye,  whether  of  man  or  beast ;  as  if  the  auda- 
cious spirits,  the  fallen  angels,  had  taken  up  their  abode  in,  the 
bodies  of  serpents.  The  terrifying  form  of  a  serpent's  head  above 
that  of  all  other  animals,  must  have  been  the  reason  why  the  son 
of  Sirach.  the  writer  of  the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus,  chap.  xxv.  15, 
has  said,  "  there  is  no  head  above  the  head  of  a  serpent."  Apo- 
crypha. 

There  is  no  animal  which  will  fight  more  obstinately  than 
the  serpent,  with  any  creature  which  attacks  it.  There  is  noth- 
ing which  can  inspire  equal  terror  with  the  anaconda  and  great 
li-boa ;  a  whole  town  or  neighborhood,  in  the  countries  where 
they  are  found,  is  thrown  into  the  utmost  consternation,  if  it  is 
but  announced  that  an  animal  of  this  sort  has  been  seen  any- 
where near,  none  daring  to  stir  abroad  till  the  creature's  depar- 
ture. In  certain  districts  of  both  Africa  and  South  America,  the 
serpents  have  so  multiplied,  of  all  sorts,  as  that  they  have  obtained 
exclusive  possession,  frightening  away  every  other  creature,  even 
animals  of  the  most  ferocious  description.  Regulus,  a  Roman 
general,  nearly  three  hundred  years  R  C,  while  leading  his  army 
along  the  banks  of  the  river  Bagrada,  in  Africa,  met  with  a  ser- 
pent, which  disputed  his  passage  across,  destroying  great  num- 
bers of  his  men,  which  he  however  killed,  with  his  battering- 
rams  and  catapulta,  machines  formed  for  the  purpose  of  heaving 
large  stones  with  force  and  precision.  Pliny,  the  most  learned 
of  the  Roman  historians  who  flourished  in  the  first  century,  states 
that  he  had  seen  the  skin  of  this  serpent,  and  that  it  was  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length. 

Though  we  have  indulged  our  thoughts  at  some  length  on 
the  subject  of  serpents,  yet  we  cannot  well  forbear  to  give  an 
account  which  respects  the  power  of  serpents  to  charm  or  fasci- 
nate such  creatures  as  venture  to  gaze  steadfastly  upon  its 
eyes.  But  whether  such  a  power,  if  it  exists,  is  the  result 
of  subtilty  and  cunning,  or  is  the  mere  force  of  instinct,  in 
the  animal,  is  the  question,  which,  as  yet  is  not  decided,  and  ma 
ay  doubt  it  altogether.     Few  human  beings  so  for  as  we  have 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  45 

hoard,  have  tried  by  experiment,  whether  they  have  this  power 
or  not  i  oae,  however,  as  related  by  a  pioneer  settler  and  hunter 
in  the  early  times  of  Vermont,  states  the  following  respecting 
himself. 

i:  In  one  of  my  hunting  excursions,  on  a  fine  morning,  accom- 
panied by  my  wife,  (as  we  were  but  just  married,)  the  sun  wa> 
shining  warm  and  sultry,  while  all  above  was  clear  and  bright 
I  had  left  my  companion  at  a  certain  placer  beneath  the  shade  of 
a  young  pine,  for  a  short  time,  in  pursuit  of  game,  which  drew 
up  a  steep,  ledgy  hill,  and  while  struggling  to  ascend,  I  was 
startled  by  a  quick  grating  rattle  very  near  me ;  when  looking 
eagerly  about.  I  discovered  a  short  space  before  me.  on  a  smooth 
rock  which  lay  fair  to  the  sun,  a  large  rattlesnake,  coiling  him- 
self, to  make  the  deadly  spring.  The  serpent  was  within  a  few  feet 
of  me,  and  I  paused  for  a  moment,  ere  I  should  kill  it,  to  survey 
it.  But  while  doing  so.  yet  I  know  not  why,  a  strange  feeling  of 
curiosity  came  over  me,  which  unaccountably  fixed  my  atten- 
tion. Suddenly  the  snake  unwound  his  coil,  as  if  relenting  from 
us  purpose  of  hostility,  and  raising  his  head  he  fixed  his  bright 
eyes  directly  upon  my  own.  A  chilling  and  incredible  sensation, 
totally  different  from  any  thing  I  had  ever  before  experienced, 
followed  this  movemement  of  the  serpent.  Yet  I  stood  still  and 
gazed  steadily  and  earnestly,  for  at  that  moment  there  was  a 
visible  change  hi  the  reptile  :  his  form  seemed  to  grow  larger 
and  his  colors  brighter.  His  body  now  seemed  to  move  with  a 
slow  and  almost  imperceptible  motion  toward  me.  while  there 
came  a  low  hum  of  music  from  him,  or  at  least  it  sounded  in  my 
ear,  a  strange  sweet  melody,  faint  as  from  the  throat  of  the  hum- 
mmcr  bird.  Then  the  tints  of  his  body  deepened,  and  changed, 
and  glowed  with  green,  purple,  scarlet,  and  gold,  until  I  lost 
sight  of  the  serpent  entirely,  seeing  only  wild  and  curiously  wo- 
ven circles  of  various  colors,  quivering  around  me  like  an  atmos- 
phere of  rainbows.  I  seemed  in  the  centre  of  a  great  prison,-  - 
a  world  of  mysterious  colors  :  the  tints  varied,  and  darkened, 
and  lighted  up  again,  around  me,  and  the  low  music  went  on 
without  ceasing,  until  my  brain  reeled,  and  fear  now  for  the  first, 
came  like  a  shadow  over  me.  This  sensation  gained  upon  me 
rapidly,  and  I  could  feel  the  cold  sweat  gushing  irorn  my  brow. 
I  had  no  certainty  of  danger  in  my  mind— no  definite  ideas  of 
peril — all  was  vague  and  clouded  like  the  unaccountable  terrors 
of  a  dream :  and  yet  my  limbs  shook  and  I  fancied  I  could  feci 
the  blood  stiffening  with  cold  as  it  passed  along  my  veins.  I 
would  have  given  worlds  to  have  been  able  to  tear  myself  from 
the  spot;  I  even  attempted  to  do  so,  or  thought  I  did':  but  the 
body  obeyed  not  the  impulse  of  the  mind — not  a  muscle  moved, 
I  yet  stood  still,  as  if  my  feet  had  grown  to  the  solid  rock,  with 
Ihe  infernal  music  of  the  tempter  in  my  ear,  and  the  baleful 
colorings  of  enchantment  around  me.     S'uddenlv  a  new  sound 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

came  on  my  ear — it  was  a  human  voice ;  but  it  seemed  strange, 
and  awful — again — again — but  I  stirred  not — and  then  a  white 
form  stood  beside  me,  and  grasped  my  arm;  it  was  my  wife. 
With  her  touch  the  horrible  spell  was  broken — the  strange  col- 
ors passed  away  from  my  vision.  The  rattlesnake  was  coiling 
at  my  feet,  with  burning  eyes,  reckless  of  danger  ;  when  with  a 
quick  stamp  of  one  foot — having  on  shoes  of  hard  leather — I 
('rushed  its  head  to  powder — and  thus  I  escaped." 

But  whether  the  larger  kinds,  as  the  boa,  anaconda.  &c.  have 
this  power  is  unknown,  yet  it  is  supposed  they  have  not,  as  there 
appears  no  necessity  of  its  being  thus  endowed  :  their  agility 
and  strength  being  equal  to  all  their  necessities.  The  steady 
unvarying  glare  of  the  rattlesnake,  is  aided  by  its  never  winking, 
as  nature  has  covered  their  eyes  with  a  transparent  shining  sub- 
stance, which  protects  it  from  injury,  and  answers  a  better  pur- 
pose— as  they  burrow  in  the  earth — than  eyelids,  like  other 
animals. 

Adaptation  appeal's  to  characterize  all  the  works  of  God,  as- 
well  as  first  principles,  starting  points,  and  data.  Man,  there- 
fore, is  the  starting  point  of  alf  animal  creation,  as  he  stands  at 
their  head  in  the  perfection  of  limbs,  and  intellect,  and  power  of 
improvement  and  expression  by  speech.  From  this  data,  we 
therefore  judge,  that  as  animals  approach  in  their  forms,  to  that 
of  man,  that  also  their  intellect  conforms  to  the  same  rule. 
If  this  be  so,  we  at  once  perceive  that  the  Orang-outang  is  the 
creature  marked  by  Moses,  as  the  instrument  of  the  devil  in 
the  ruin  of  man  ;  because  the  shape  of  that  creature  is  more 
like  man  than  any  other ;  while  that  of  a  serpent  is  farther 
removed  from  that  form  than  the  whole  creation  besides  :  being 
nothing  more  than  a  congeries  of  long  muscles,  like  a  rope  made 
from  the  fibres  of  hemp,  having  a  head  at  one  end  and  a  tail  at 
the  other,  without  legs  arms  or  wings,  and  is  next  in  grade  on  the 
descending  scale  to  the  very  worms  of  the  dust,  and  could  never 
therefore,  have  been  the  animal  of  the  text  of  Moses,  as  it  is  not 
the  subtilest  beast  of  all  the  field ;  while  the  Orang-outang,  in  our 
opinion,  most  certainly  is,  and  was  therefore  the  identical  animal. 

But  as  conclusive  on  this  subject,  the  identity  of  the  kind  of 
animal  in  question,  we  are  able  to  give  the  evidence  of  an  accre- 
dited writer  of  great  celebrity,  who  lived  a  thousand  years  before 
the  time  of  Christ,  that  whatever  animal  it  was :  it  was  not  a 
snake,  and  that  the  snake  was  not  considered,  in  his  time,  as  a 
beast  of  as  much  subtilty  as  the  other  animals  of  creation.  This 
writer  was  the  famous  Solomon,  of  the  Scriptures,  whose  wisdom 
has  been  celebrated  in  all  ages  and  countries,  since1  his  time. 
Respecting  his  opinion  about  the  subtilty  of  snakes,  see  Book  of 
Wisdom,  chap.  xi.  15,  where,  speaking  of  the  worship  of  the 
Egyptians  in  the  tinr  of  Moses,  he  says,  that  from  "  the  foolish 
devices  of  their  wickeu'ness,  wherewith  being  deceived,  they  WOT- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  4/ 

shipped  serpents,  (or  the  ophi,)  void  of  reason"  This,  in  run- 
opinion,  is  sufficient  to  show  that  Solomon  did  not  consider  thr 
ophi,  or  snake,  as  the  snbtilest  beast  of  all  the  held,  or  earth  :  as 
he  expressly  says,  it  was  void  of  reason,  or  suhtilty.  and  therefore 
he  did  not  understand  Moses,  in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis, 
where  the  account  of  Eve  and  the  Nach  ash  is  given,  to  have  any 
allusion  to  such  an  animal  as  a  snake,  but  rather  to  sonic  other 
creature,  which  was  not  naturally  A'oid  of  reason,  as  he  esteemed 
serpents  or  snakes  to  be. 

That  the  Egyptians  worshipped  snakes  in  the  time  of  .Moses, 
is  shown  from  this  very  statement  by  Solomon,  as  also  from  an- 
cient history.  The  Egyptians  were  exceedingly  superstitious, 
and  worshipped  all  kinds  of  animals ;  but  the  serpent  was  had 
m  particular  veneration,  as  it  was  this  reptile  which  even  Jeho- 
vah came  out  against,  when  he  caused  the  rod  of  Moses  to  be- 
come a  serpent,  and  to  devour  the  serpents  of  the  magicians. 
hi  the  time  of  Solomon  they  had  not  abandoned  the  wor- 
ship of  this  creature,  as  he  seems  to  speak  of  it,  as  quoted  above. 
in  the  present  tense,  at  the  time  of  his  reign. 

But  to  all  we  have  said  on  this  subject,  namely,  of  the  exist- 
ence of  some  kind  of  animal  which  Satan  made  use  of  on  the 
occasion  of  man's  fall.  Jnivcrsalists  turn  a  deaf  ear,  for  they 
allege,  that  there  was  no  animal  in  the  case,  and  that  the  whole 
that  has  been  written  in  the  Bible  on  that  subject  is  but  descriptive 
of  Eve  herself  her  appetites  and  passions.  This  is  necessary  for 
them  to  do.  as  any  acknowledgment  of  the  existence  of  some 
creature  having  been  used  as  an  instrument  of  deception  in  the 
fall  of  Eve,  draws  after  it  the  existence  of  an  evil  spirit,  as  certain- 
ly as  effect  follows  cause,  and  this  would  ruin  their  scheme,  as  a 
supernatural  evil  spirit,  having  a  real  being,  is  that  which  they 
everywhere  deny. 

We  think  the  account,  as  written  by  Moses,  is  of  exceedingly 
great  importance  on  this  subject ;  for  if  the  existence  of  Satan. 
or  of  an  evil  being,  who  was  engaged  in  the  moral  destruction  of 
the  wife  of  Adam,  cannot  be  made  out  from  that  account,  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  acknowledge,  that  such  an  existence  becomes  ex- 
tremely doubtful,  notwithstanding  so  much  is  said  in  all  the  Bible 
of  such  a  beimr ;  for  if  this  cannot  he  shown  at  the  head  of  the 
stream,  how  is  it  to  1x3  done  at  any  other  point  farther  down. 

On  this  subject,  we  shall  now  bring  forward  some  of  the  opin- 
ions of  Balfour,  as  found  in  his  book  entitled  his  u  Second  En- 
quiry" and  is  written  expressly  to  disprove  the  existence  of  a 
devil,  as  a  being,  who  contends  that  all  references  to  such  a  being, 
as  are  found  in  the  Scriptures,  are  to  be  understood  only  of 
human  beings,  and  their  faculties,  when  engaged  in  immoral 
pursuits.  That  there  is  no  such  being  he  seems  to  make  out,  to 
his  own  satisfaction,  from  the  circumstance  that  Moses  has  not 
plainly,  or  in  so  many  words  said  there  is.     He  supposes  that  if 


43  HISTORY  OF  THLE  FALLEN 

there  was  such  a  being,,  who  was  so  dangerous  to  the  repose  of 
Adam  and  his  wife,  that  God  ought  to  have  forewarned  them 
with  an  account  of  him,  so  that  they  might  have  guarded  against 
his  enmity.  "It  is  evident,"  he  says,  on  page  24,  "that  not  a 
word  of  caution  was  given  them,"  But  to  this  we  reply  God 
did  caution  them  against  the  wiles  of  this  being,  when  he 
said:  "in  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou shalt  surely  die? 
And  to  prove  this  to  have  been  a  caution,,  we  bring  forward  what 
St.  Paul  has  said  about  death  and  him  who  has  the  power  of 
death,  that  is  the  devil.  Heb.  ii.  1 4.  Now  if  no  being  has  the 
power  of  death  but  the  devil,,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  our  race,  it 
follows  that  if  they  ate  that  fruit  which  was  forbidden  them,  thai 
the  devil  would  be  the  being  who  had  induced  their  death  by 
tempting  the  woman  to  a  breach  of  God's  holy  law  ;  or  here  is 
a  death  which  takes  place  aside,  as  to  its  cause  from  that  of  the 
devil,  notwithstanding  St.  Paul's  opinion  to  the  contrary.  Now 
inasmuch  as  God  informed  them  of  the  possibility  of  death,  he 
informed  them  of  him  wha  had  the  power  of  death,  or  else  the 
revelation  was  an  imperfect  one,  so  far  as  it  related  to-  warning; 
Adam  against  tasting  that  fruit.  Now,  inasmuch  as  God  named 
the  name  of  death,  it  is  evidence  that  he  cautioned  them  against 
this  being,  who  had  this  power,  and  of  necessity  ascertains  the 
existence  of  the  devil,  or  St.  Paul  knew  nothing  of  the  subject 
he  was  speaking  about. 

Mr.  Balfour,  on  pages  24  and  25,  of  his  book,  seems  to  think  that 
it  was  much  worse,  and  much:  more  ruinous  to  mankind  to  have 
fallen  by  the  temptations  of  an  evil  spirit  or  apostate  angel,  than  by 
any  other  means,  although  the  consequences  should  be  exactly 
the  same ;  yet  appears  perfectly  willing  to  have  man  fall,  if  he 
did  fall,  by  the  means  of  his  own  heart ;  but  is  vevy  much  op- 
posed to  its  having  been  promoted  by  such  a  being  as  the  devil, 
yet  seems  inclined  to  think  that  it  woud  have  been  far  more 
chaste,  delicate  and  orthodox,  to  believe  that  God  made  Adam 
and  his  wife  just  strong  enough  not  to  stand  but  a  short  time, 
and  then  to  fall,  by  an  inevitable  and  inherent  propensity  to  sin, 
implanted  by  the  everblessed  Creator  in  their  natures.  In  this, 
Balfour  is  more  careful  of  the  devil's  character,  than  even  those 
who  believe  in  his  existence,  inasmuch  as  man's  fall,  if  he  did  fall, 
was  occasioned  by  the  Creator  himself,  as  Universalists  view  the 
subject.  The  very  fact,  which  proves  there  was  a  fallen  spirit 
or  angel,  called  Satan,  the  Serpent  and  the  Devil,  who  tempted 
Eve  to  ner  ruin,  is  taken  by  Balfour,  as  evidence  that  there  is  no 
such  being.  That  conclusion  is  shown  from  his  own  statements, 
which  are,  that  the  creature,  whatever  it  was,  knew  all  about  the 
prohibition  ;  for  says  Balfour,  this  serpent  began  the  conversation 
with  the  woman,  which  he  says  a  dumb  beast  could  not  have 
done;  to  which  wo  heartily  respond,  and  say,  that  no  animal 
could  have  known  this,  on  which  very  account  we  see  a  neces- 


ANGELS   OF  Till*    SCRIPTURES.  49 

sity  for  the  existence  and  presence  of  just  such  a  being  as  the 
devil  is  shown  to  be,  wherever  he  is  spoken  of  in  all  the  Scriptures, 
or  such  an  effect  could  not  have  been  produced  on  a  dumb  animal. 

Page  26.  of  the  Enquiry,  he  makes  himself  much  sport,  on 
account  of  Eve's  conversing  with  so  frightful  a  creature  as  a 
talking  snake,  and  thinks  it  was  an  instrument  far  enough  from 
being  calculated  to  seduce  any  body,  on  which  account,  he  be- 
lieves it  could  not  have  been  so.  But  in  this*  slur,  there  is  but 
little  force,  when  it  is  recollected,  that  a  holy  and  innocent  being 
as  Bve  was  in  her  sphere,  could  not  possibly/ear,  or  be  startled 
by  any  accident.  The  only  reason  why  she  noticed,  or  listened 
to  the  tempter,  in  the  form  of  a  beast,  no  doubt  was,  because  it 
spoke  to  her  of  an  increase  of  knowledge,  which  to  acquire,  to 
her  appeared  a  virtue  of  the  highest  order.  All  creatures  were 
harmless  to  Eve,  whatever  their  forms  were,  and  however  hide- 
ous or  repulsive.  She  may  have  been  often  amused  by  the 
gambols  and  the  varieties,  every  where  met  with  in  her  walks, 
but  could  fear  none,  while  in  her  innocence.  Fear  has  torment 
in  its  nature,  and  is  known  no  where,  except  with  the  guilty. 

In  one  place  of  his  book,  namely,  on  the  2Gth  page,  he  thinks 
we  are  indebted  to  Milton,  rather  than  to  Moses,  lor  a  belief  in 
the  existence  of  a  devil :  but  if  this  is  so,  we  ask,  to  whom  were 
the  early  writers  and  fathers  indebted,  who  lived  and  wrote  many 
hundred  years  before  Milton  was  born,  who  have  transmitted  on 
the  page  of  Ecclesiastical  history,  the  same  opinions  and  doc- 
trines now  held  by  the  orthodox  sects,  about  the  devil  ?  In  an 
other  place  of  his  book,  however,  he  is  sure  that  we  have  derived 
all  our  peculiar  opinions,  such  as  a  hell,  a  day  of  judgment,  and 
the  being  of  a  devil,  from  the  writings  of  Zoroaster,  to  which  we 
shall  give  our  attention  in  its  proper  place.  He  seems  not  even 
to  dream  that  we  have  derived  them  from  the  Bible,  although 
its  phraseology  and  composition  abounds  with  accounts  of  the 
kind.  Nay,  it  is  the  very  object  of  the  whole  Scriptures  to  reveal 
these  truths,  and  to  teach  men  how  to  be  good,  and  to  flee  the 
wrath  to  come,  in  an  other  world,  as  we  understand  them. 

On  page  27,  of  his  work'.  Balfour  says  that  Moses  selected  the 
serpent  or  snake  as  a  mere  figure  of  the  deceitful  nature  of  Eve's 
passions,  appetites,  and  desires,  which  he  calls  lusts,  because  it 
wasa  creature  "  celebrated  for  its  subtilty  among  mankind."  But 
this  statement,  is  what  neither  Mr.  Balfour,  nor  any  other  man 
can  prove;  namely,  that  serpents  were  celebrated  in  the  time  of 
Moses  for  subtilty.  What  record  is  there  of  this  thing?  none 
that  we  know  of.  The  Bible,  the  oldest  book  in  the  world,  lias 
no  hint  or  allusion  to  this  effect ;  while  we  have  produced  a  very 
early  writer  of  a  part  of  the  Scriptures,  namely,  Solomoji,  who 
says  that  the  serpents  which  the  Egyptians  worshipped,  were 
void  of  reason  or  subtilty,  and  therefore,  in  his  time,  could  not 
have  been  thus  celebrated.     We  have  said  above,  that  we  know 

4 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  no  allusion  in  the  Bible,  which  can  lead  to  a  supposition  that 
snakes  are  ivise  or  subtil ;  but  lest  the  reader  should  be  alarmed, 
we  make  haste  to  quote  what  Christ  said  at  a  certain  time  to  his 
disciples,  on  the  subject  of  serpents,  and  to  explain  it.  He  said, 
a.  be  ye  wise  as  serpents  but  harmless  as  doves."  Does  not  this, 
says  one,  not  only  hint,  but  plainly  make  out,  that  serpents  are 
indeed  wise  and  cunning,  and  were  so  considered  by  Jesus 
Christ  ?  we  think  not ;  and  the  following  is  our  reason.  A  man, 
or  a  human  being,  is  certainly  far  more  wise  and  subtil  than  a 
snake.  If  so,  then  the  Saviour  could  never  have  chosen  this  con  - 
temptible  reptile  as  a  figure  of  emulation  for  his  disciples.  Did 
he,  indeed,  wish  them  to  be  as  wise  as  common  snakes  ?  This 
would  be  to  suppose  them  at  least,  somewhat  below  serpents  in 
ability,  a  very  strange  predicament  for  human  beings,  who  had 
the  use  of  their  reason.  The  supposition  is  altogether  ridicu- 
lous. What  then  did  he  mean  ?  He  meant,  no  doubt,  that  they 
should  be  as  wise  as  devils — or  evil  spirits,  of  whose  wiles  St. 
Paul  said,  on  a  certain  occasion,  that  the  saints  of  his  day  were 
not  ignorant.  Also — he  meant,  that  he  desired  his  disciples  to 
be  as  wise  as  the  Jews  their  enemies,  who  on  two  occasions  are 
called  a  generation  of  vipers,  or  serpents.  So  that  in  our  opin- 
ion these  texts  give  no  countenance  to  the  idea  of  the  wisdom  of 
snakes.  But  more  than  this,  Mr.  Balfour  makes  Moses  choose 
this  creature,  not  because  it  is.  or  was  in  fact  the  subtilest  beast 
among  animals  ;  but  because  it  was  thus  celebrated,  as  he  as 
sumes  to  believe.  Such  a  course  wTould  be  deception,  even  in 
Moses,  for  if  the  snake  in  fact,  is  not  such  a  creature,  then  has 
Moses  made  his  selection  unwisely  and  deceitfully,  as  he  should 
have  been  guided,  not  by  a  false  celebrity,  but  by  matter  of  fact, 
or  the  lusts  of  Eve  were  not  fitly  represented.  But  here  we  wish 
to  remark,  that  in  our  opinion,  this  stroke  of  Mr.  Balfour's  inven- 
tion, should  go  for  nothing,  as  it  is  not  true  in  its  main  feature. 
And  what  is  its  main  feature  ?  It  is  this :  he  says,  Moses  chose 
this  animal  as  descriptive  of  Eve's  nature,  as  it  related  to  her 
appetites  ;  but  where  is  the  proof  of  this,  that  Moses  chose  it  for 
that  purpose  ?  we  answer  there  is  no  proof — while,  to  the  con- 
trary there  is  proof  irrefragible,  that  he  did  not.  But  how  is  this, 
says  one,  did  he  not  write  the  book  of  Genesis,  where  the  whole 
account  is  found?  Most  certainly  he  did.  How  then  is  it,  that 
he  did  not  choose  this  creature  for  the  purpose  Mr.  Balfour  al- 
ledges  ?  This  is  our  proof  and  our  reason  : — Moses  has  but 
recorded  the  conversation  which  took  place  between  God  and 
Eve  ;  and  says  that  Eve  said  the  serpent  or  nachash  beguiled 
her.  Now  if  any  body  chose  an  animal  for  this  purpose,  it  was 
Eve,  herself,  while  Moses  does  nothing  but  rehearse  the  fact  as  a 
matter  of  history  and  truth.  Are  we  to  believe  she  chose  this 
horrid  animal,  to  show  up  to  her  God,  by  a  hieroglyphic  of  this 
sort,  the  very  nature  which  himself  had  but  a  few  days  previous 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  W 

created?  we  think  not.  She  did  nothing  more  than  to  speak  of 
the  creature  which  she  supposed  had  misled  her,  having  no  idea 
whatever,  that  the  devil  who  had  the  power  of  death,  had  en- 
tered into  the  animal,  and  inspired  it  with  the  abilities  of  articu- 
lation and  reason.  Wherefore,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  compre- 
hend our  subject,  Mr.  Balfour  has  failed,  totally  failed,  to  make 
out  that  either  Moses  or  Eve  chose  an  animal  as  a  representative 
of  her  appetites;  on  which  account  it  remains,  that  the  belief  of 
a  real  animal  called  by  Eve  the  nachash,  being"  inspired,  by 
Satan,  conversed  with  her,  is  a  true  belief.  What  follows, 
therefore,  on  this  fact  ?  it  follows  that  there  was  an  evil  spirit  or 
being,  who  was  the  real  tempter,  and  not  the  animal.  This  is 
made  out  from  Balfour's  own  showing ;  who,  in  his  struggle  to 
oppose  the  being  of  Satan,  says  on  page  25  of  his  work,  that  a 
-dumb  beast  could  not  have  thus  conversed.  To  this  we  agree, 
no  dumb  beast  could  ever  talk  except  by  the  aid  of  a  superior  and 
competent  power.  Now,  as  he  has  failed  in  his  statement  about 
Moses'  choosing  this  animal  for  the  purpose  of  a  figure,  he  fails 
to  disprove  the  existence  of  the  devil  in  the  case  of  Eve,  as  the 
animal  could  not  of  itself  have  said  any  thing  of  the  matter.  We 
wish  to  be  particular  on  this  subject,  in  this  place,  for  if  we  fail  to 
make  out  in  a  reasonable  manner,  the  existence  of  an  evil  being, 
who  was  engaged  in  Eve's  ruin,  we  fail  in  a  great  measure  of  the 
main  object  of  this  work,  as  before  remarked. 

Mr.  Balfour  thinks  it  foolish  and  ridiculous  to  believe  that  any 
animal  whatever,  was  made  use  of  by  any  being  in  the  ruin  of 
Eve,  and  contends  in  his  work,  page  26,  that  the  doctrine  inten- 
ded by  the  reference  of  Moses  to  an  animal,  which  conversed 
with  woman,  is  simply  to  inform  us  that  Eve's  lusts  or  desires, 
after  food  when  she  was  hungry,  was  the  true  serpent,  or  devil, 
which  destroyed  her,  if  she  was  destroyed.  But  to  refute  this 
in  another  form,  we  ask  :  could  lusts  or  desixes  have  known 
more  about  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  the  consequences  which 
would  follow  on  her  tasting  it,  than  Eve  did  herself?  Did  her 
appetites  know  more  than  her  mind  ?  This  must  have  been  the 
case,  however  preposterous  the  opinion  may  appear,  if  nothing 
but  her  appetites  are  intended  by  Moses,  or  by  Eve ;  for  we  see 
her  lusts,  as  Balfour  calls  her  desires,  commencing  the  conver- 
sation with  Eve,  by  saying,  "  God  doth  know  that  in  the  day  ye 
eat  thereof,  that  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  the 
gods  [the  angels]  knowing  good  and  evil."  How  is  it  that  Eve's 
superior  powers,  her  mind,  her  reason,  her  perception,  knew 
nothing  of  this,  while  her  inferior  powers,  her  mere  animal  inno- 
cent appetites  for  food  when  hungry,  knew  all  about  it;  we 
might  as  well  argue  that  her  body,  composed  of  muscles  and 
limbs,  were  superior  in  their  nature  to  her  mind,  her  soul,  her 
immortal  and  her  undying  intellect.  But  if  indeed,  the  opinion 
is  correct,  as  Balfour  holds,  is  it  not  strange  that  Moses,  who 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

must  have  understood  the  whole  matter,  speaks  of  her  lusts,  in 
the  masculine  gender  he,  as  Eve  was  a  woman  :  and  then 
again  to  allude  to  her  lusts,  which  is  plural,  in  the  use  of  the 
pronoun  he,  which  is  singular,  as  if  she  had  but  one  lust,  and 
that  was  a  he  one. 

But  as  to  the  real  fact  of  the  case,  this  writer,  Mr.  Balfour,  says, 
the  whole  matter  is  to  be  solved,  by  supposing  Eve  to  have  held 
a  dialogue  between  herself  and  her  lusts,  on  the  subject  of  the 
forbidden  fruit,  her  appetite  exciting  her  to  transgress,  while  her 
reason  opposed  it.  But  as  before  argued,  this  was  impossible, 
for  neither  her  reason,  or  her  appetites  could  foreknow  that  her 
eyes  should  be  opened,  to  know,  either  more  or  less.  Wherefore, 
it  is  as  evident  as  evidence  can  make  it,  that  there  must  have 
been  in  the  case  a  supernatural  evil  being,  who,  thus  understood 
the  subject,  and  thus  foretold  the  effect,  if  she  eat  of  that  fruit 

Universalis!  writers,  however,  do  not  all  agree  on  this  subject, 
for  while  Mr.  Balfour  admits  the  fact  of  the  law  which  forbade 
Adam  and  Eve  tasting  the  fruit  of  a  real  tree,  situated  in  the 
literal  garden  of  Eden,  Mr.  Ballou  reduces  the  whole  account 
to  a  mere,  but  beautiful  allegory :  setting  forth  the  law  of  God,  and 
man's  natural  opposition  to  it :  each  writier  striking  out  for 
himself,  a  code  of  opinions,  diverse  from  his  fellows  of  the  same 
communion,  so  that  we  know  not  where  to  find  them  as  a  people, 
on  scarce  any  subject,  except  that  there  is  no  devil,  no  hell,  and 
no  day  of  judgment ;  in  this  they  are  all  pretty  well  agreed :  in- 
sisting that  the  orthodox  sects  of  the  christian  world  have  derived 
these  opinions  from  the  old  heathen  Persians,  by  the  way  of  the 
writings  of  Zoroaster; — but  more  of  this  in  another  place. 

On  the  30th  page  of  his  Enquiry,  Mr.  Balfour  endeavors  to 
show  that  because  the  New  Testament  writers  speak  of  the  lusts 
of  the  human  heart,  as  being  the  root  and  origin  of  sin :  that  of 
necessity  we  are  to  refer  this  fact  to  Eve's  case, — as  if  she  was  in 
the  same  fallen  and  depraved  condition  before  her  fall,  that  she 
was  after.  This  is  a  strange  way  of  reasoning,  and  will  not  an- 
swer, unless  we  are  to  believe  that  God  placed  lusts  as  the  origin 
of  sin,  in  the  soul  of  Eve,  on  purpose  for  her  ruin.  Now  Uni- 
versalists— with  Ballou  and  Balfour  at  their  head— make  a  great 
matter  of  it,  because  the  orthodox  sects  believe  in  the  existence 
of  a  devil,  who  tempted  Eve,  and  ask,  and  wonder  why  Gcd  did 
not  prevent  his  doing  so,  as  if  he  certainly  ought  so  to  have  done, 
and  yet  they  say  God  himself  did  it,  by  creating  in  the  soul  of 
Eve— what  they  improperly  call  her  lusts,  which  became  the 
occasion  of  her  ruin.  Is  not  this  a  strange  thing  to  wonder  at? 
Is  it  not  as  well  that  Satan  should  tempt  man  to  his  ruin,  as  that 
God  should  do  it  by  his  own  direct  will  ? 

But  we  deny,  and  no  man  can  make  it  appear,  that  the  simple 
tact  of  Eve's  having  the  natural  appetites  to  eat  and  to  drink  when 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  53 

hungry  and  thirsty,  were  lusts  in  any  sense ;  more  than  the 
same  desires  or  appetites  are  lust  in  a  wild  fawn  of  the  woods. 
Lust  is  a  moral  disqualification  of  the  spirit  or  mind  of  man, 
consisting  in  a  will  to  disobey  the  commands  of  God,  or  to  outrage 
moral  principle  in  some  way  or  other,  after  corruption  has  enter- 
ed, and  not  before.  Eve  had  no  such  lust,  as  she  came  pure  from 
the  hand  of  God;  yet  she  had  appetite  for  food  or  she  could  not 
have  lived,  however  pure  and  innocent  she  was,  but  cannot  be 
termed  lust  in  any  sense  of  the  word.  But  no  doubt  the  grand 
secret  of  this  doctrine  of  Universalists,  respecting  Eve's  being 
created  with  lustful  appetites  and  desires,  is  to  make  out  that  man 
is  not  fallen  in  Adam,  as  held  by  the  orthodox  sects,  and  that 
man  is  not  sinful  by  nature,  but  only  by  accident,  or  fortuitously 
and  relatively.  Men,  therefore,  are  now  by  nature,  exactly 
what  they  were  in  their  original  heads — Adam  and  Eve — until 
they  do  something  which  is  considered  merely  relatively  wrong. 
This  is  the  reason  why  thorough  bred  Universalists  deny  the 
use  of  the  vicarious  atonement  made  for  the  world,  by  the  volun- 
tary death  of  Jesus  Christ ;  as  from  that  view  of  theirs,  it  is  not 
needed ;  this  is  deism.  Mr.  Balfour  says,  on  page  30,  of  his  Sec- 
ond Enquiry,  that  "lust,  the  source  of  sin,  is  always  represented 
in  Scripture  as  being  deceitful  and  beguiling."  This  we  admit, 
but  deny  that  Eve  came  from  the  hand  of  God  in  such  a  condi- 
tion, having  within  her  the  seeds  of  moral  death  ;  for  if  she  did, 
then  the  occurrence  of  sin  is  but  the  fruit  of  the  planting  of  God 
himself,  and  the  horrible  harvest  of  moral  depravity  is  of  his  own 
providing.  On  this  view  of  the  subject,  there  is  no  sin  in  the 
world,  as  God  can  do  no  evil. 

But  if  Eve  was  created  with  lusts,  and  these  lusts  were  to  be 
in  their  inevitable  operation  her  ruin,  to  be  demonstrated  as  soon 
as  the  law  of  God  should  be  given  her,  against  which  they  were 
to  act  in  war  and  conflict ;  might  she  not  have  exclaimed,  even 
before  she  had  sinned: — O  wretched  WOMAN  that  I  am  !  Who 
shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death !  What  a  picture  is 
this  of  man's  original  condition  !  We  do  not  wonder  that  Univer- 
salism  is  the  timber  out  of  which  the  whole  superstructure  of  mod- 
ern infidelity  to  the  Scriptures  is  made;  as  with  such  views, 
and  such  conclusions,  of  what  they  teach  respecting  the  origin 
of  good  and  evil,  it  is  no  marvel  that  they  should  offend  the  rea- 
der. The  Scriptures  state  that  Christ  was  manifested  to  destroy 
the  works  of  the  devil.  Well,  what  is  this  devil  which  lie  came 
to  (1  ->troy?  Why  ;  according  to  Universalists,  it  is  the  lusts  of 
Eve  and  all  her  race.  Well,  who  made  the  lusts  of  Eve  and  her 
race  ?  Why,  God — say  they — as  he  is  the  only  Creator.  What 
then  follows  on  this  view  ?  Why,  that  Christ  came  as  the  Son 
of  God  to  destroy  that  which  his  father  had  made,  and  called 
very  good,  in  the  beginning.     Is  not  this  a  kingdom  divided 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

against  itself,  and  therefore  cannot  stand?  No  wonder  deism 
flourishes  under  the  auspices  of  such  theology. 

Mr.  Balfour  complains  in  his  Enquiry,  and  says  that  Moses 
ought  to  have  stated  plainly  that  the  serpent  which  tempted  Eve 
was  a  f  alien  angel,  if  the  thing  is  true.  But  on  the  part  of  tho 
orthodox,  have  we  not  as  good  a  right  to  complain  that  Moses 
has  not  said  that  there  is  not,  or  at  least  we  have  a  right  to  com- 
plain that  the  cause  of  her  ruin  is  so  mysteriously  hidden  under 
the  cover  of  a  deep  and  difficult  allegory,  or  under  the  term,  ser- 
pent, which  creature  after  all  is  but  a  hieroglyphic,  intended  to 
represent  certain  passions  and  appetites  ?  If  the  truth  is,  that  it 
was  her  lusts  or  appetites  which  destroyed  her,  how  is  it  that 
Moses  does  not  say  so ;  as  he  easily  might  have  done ; — as  plain 
fact,  stated  in  the  plainest  manner,  best  becomes  the  dignity  of 
holy  inspiration.  That  he  did  state  plainly,  that  there  is  such  a 
being  as  a  wicked  fallen  angel,  now  called  Satan,  is  shown  when 
he  says,  that  Eve  said,  the  serpent  beguiled  her ;  as  we  know,  as 
before  argued,  that  no  beast  can  or  ever  did  use  articulate  speech, 
except  by  mere  imitation  ;  it  follows,  therefore  that  an  evil  being 
destroyed  her  by  temptation.  To  us  it  appears  that  the  orthodox 
sects,  in  their  view  of  this  subject,  are  much  more  modest  and 
retiring  than  are  Universalists ;  as  the  former  charge  the  blame 
on  Satan  as  a  mere  tempter,  and  on  Adam  and  Eve  as  dupes ; 
while  the  latter  at  once  and  unblushingly  ascribe  the  whole  to 
God ;  when  they  say  he  created  them  with  lusts,  the  very  seeds 
of  their  ruin  as  shown  in  their  fall. 

Mr.  Balfour  in  the  3d  section  of  his  Second  Enquiry,  endeav- 
ors to  make  it  appear  that  the  word  Satan,  in  the  original  He- 
brew and  Greek,  meant  in  no  case  where  it  is  used,  a  fallen 
angel,  a  supernatural  wicked  spirit  or  being.  But  contends 
that  the  word  was  restricted  solely  to  such  beings  and  subjects 
as  are  in  opposition  to  each  other ;  and  from  the  fact  of  such  op- 
post  es,  the  term  Satan  is  made  out  signifying  merely  an  adver- 
sary. Though  this  may  be  true  in  relation  to  any  ordinary 
subject  it  may  be  applied  to,  yet  we  do  not  perceive  how  this  can 
exclude  its  application  to  such  a  being  as  Satan  is  supposed  to 
be.  He  is  shown  in  Scripture  to  be  opposed  to  God's  holy  gov- 
ernment of  the  universe,  and  is  therefore  a  Satan,  meaning  an 
enemy.  But  when  we  consider  that  God  is  opposed  to  sin,  wo 
dare  not  say  he  is  therefore  a  Satan,  as  such  a  course  would  bo 
to  confound  and  abuse  language,  distracting  the  reader  with 
ideas  of  good  and  bad  Satans.  Because  this  term  may  be  applied 
to  ordinary  cases — such  as  enmity  between  men  or  nations — is  it 
therefore  to  be  excluded  from  a  higher  and  more  extended  mean- 
ing? We  should  suppose  not.  The  idea  of  good  is  derived 
from  God,  because  he  is  good ;  and  from  that,  the  word  good  has 
its  being.  But  on  this  account,  are  we  to  exclude  its  higher 
signification,  and  application  to  God  ?  By  no  means.    How  then 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  55 

is  the  word  Satan  to  be  restricted  to  the  common  affairs  of  man, 
any  more  than  the  word  good  1  If  the  word  Satan  is  to  be  re- 
stricted, and  made  to  signify  the  opposition  one  man  may  have  to 
another ;  how  is  it  that  St.  Peter  has  named  but  onel — see  his  1st 
Epistle,  v.  8, — where  lie  warns  all  Christians  to  be  sober,  to  be 
vigilant,  because  their  adversary,  Satan,  or  the  devil,  as  a  roaring 
lion  went  about,  seeking  whom  he  might  destroy.  We  repeat 
it,  how  is  it  that  he  has  named  but  one,  seeing  thousands  of  the 
Jews  were  opposed  to  the  infant  church?  Surely  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands  could  not  have  meant  but  one;  surely,  if  it 
did,  St.  Peter  should  have  warned  them  against  many  Satans, 
instead  of  one — and  but  one. 

Balfour  contends  that  it  was  God  who  afflicted  Job,  and  not 
Satan,  or  the  Christian  devil  as  he  calls  him — nor  the  Persian 
Ai  iman  and  evil  being.  Because  Job  says,  chap.  xxi.  the  Lord 
gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  This  was  said  by  Job  because  he  supposed  it  was  so — 
we  have  no  evidence  that  Job  then  knew  that  Satan  had 
appeared  among  the  angels,  the  sons  of  God,  and  accused  Job  of 
serving  God  from  interested  purposes,  namely,  because  he  al- 
lowed him  to  become  rich.  But  the  fact  of  Satan's  being-  alloiced 
to  afflict  him,  is  what  is  meant  by  Job,  when  he  said  the  Lord 
did  it,  he  did  it  by  this  agent.  Moses  in  relating  this  story, 
makes  even  God  to  say  that  it  was  Satan  who  moved  him  against 
Job  without  a  cause.  This  is  extremely  singular,  for  the  Per- 
sian Ahriman  or  the  Christian  Satan,  being  both  of  them  a  per- 
fect nonentity,  according  to  Balfour,  puts  the  whole  affair  upon 
God,  and  makes  Moses  say  that  God  moved  God  against  Job 
without  a  cause — which  is  considerably  worse  than  nonsense. 
At  the  end  of  Job's  trial,  there  is  no  doubt  but  he  was  given  to 
understand  this  whole  matter,  and  the  particular  reason  why  the 
Lord  had  suffered  Satan  to  thus  torment  him  without  any  seem- 
ing reason — and  that  it  was  the  devil,  ever  eager  for  work  of  the 
kind,  who  had  moved  him  thereto,  which  he  had  consented  to — 
for  the  very  purpose  of  destroying  a  doctrine  which  it  seems  men 
had  imbibed,  namely,  that  in  this  life  the  good  and  the  bad  have 
their  rewards — a  doctrine  precisely  the  same  with  that  now  held 
by  modern  Universalists.  But  God,  in  the  affair  of  Job,  shows 
it  to  be  a  false  doctrine.  And  seeing  Job  was  a  good  and  right- 
eous man,  we  do  not  exactly  understand  how  it  is  that  Univer- 
salists justify  the  Divine  Being  in  afflicting  Job  unjustly ;  as  they 
teach  that  all  men  suffer  only  as  they  sin,  and  that  instantly. 
Job  being  righteous,  how  was  it  just  in  God  thus  to  have  tor- 
mented him?  But  on  the  orthodox  plan,  we  at  once  understand 
the  reason,  which  was  two  fold  ;  namely,  to  destroy  the  Univer- 
salist  notion  of  the  age,  which  was  that  the  bad  were  punished 
in  this  life,  while  the  good  were  rewarded  with  riches,  favors, 
&c. — and  also  to  show  that  many  are  the  afflictions  of  the  right- 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

eous ;  and  that  the  Lord  chasteneth  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom 
he  receiveth ;  a  point  of  the  divine  administration,  exactly  oppo- 
site to  the  Universalist  opinion. 

Balfour  seems  to  think  the  Satan  which  is  so  often  spoken  of 
in  the  book  of  Job,  and  is  there  shown  as  being  the  cause  of  Job's 
sorrows,  was  the  freebooters  of  the  country,  the  Chaldeans,  Sa- 
beans,  &c.  This  being  true — how  could  Moses  by  any  stretch 
of  language  whatever,  either  allegorical  or  parabolical,  say  that 
the  freebooters  of  the  country,  came  and  appeared  before  God  on 
a  certain  day,  when  the  sons  of  God  came  together  ?  and  more 
than  this,  how  could  he  say  that  it  was  the  Chaldeans  and 
Sabeans  who  smote  Job  with  sore  biles  ?  He  could  not ;  it  is 
impossible.  That  this  is  Balfour's  opinion,  see  his  Second  En- 
quiry, page  57.  It  were  equally  easy  to  show  from  the  book  of 
Job  that  Moses  has  there  said  nothing  about  the  being  of  God,  as 
that  he  has  said  nothing  about  the  being  of  Satan  ;  and  as  well 
might  it  be  urged  by  Universalists  that  the  book  of  Job  was  writ- 
ten for  the  express  purpose  of  proving  that  there  is  no  God,  as 
that  it  was  written  to  prove  there  is  no  Satan  who  exists  as  a 
real  being.  If  the  book  of  Job  was  intended  as  a  mere  irony  by 
Moses,  and  on  that  account  the  Ahriman  or  Satan  of  those  ages, 
was  allowed  to  personify  the  principle  of  evil,  surely  it  became 
the  honor  the  dignity  as  well  as  the  truth  of  inspiration,  to  have 
said  as  much,  and  most  certainly — if  we  might  not  exactly  look 
for  this  in  the  book  itself,  we  might  expect  it  in  the  commenta- 
ries of  the  Jews,  and  most  of  all  in  the  New  Testament,  from  the 
lips  of  Christ  or  some  of  disciples,  who  wrote  his  life.  But  it 
does  not  appear  in  any  of  these.  Surely,  an  irony  or  a  sarcasm, 
when  carried  so  far,  looks  very  much  as  if  it  were  really  meant 
to  be  truth  of  the  soberest  kind,  and  such  we  believe  it  is. 

Balfour  complains  that  none  of  the  early  writers  of  the  Bible 
have  said  any  thing  about  the  devil  being  a  fallen  angel ;  but  to 
this  we  need  only  remark,  that  it  was  taken  for  granted  all  along 
from  what  Moses  had  said  about  the  being  who  deceived  Eve, 
in  the  matter  of  the  command  respecting  the  forbidden  fruit,  ne- 
ver even  dreaming  that  it  was  not,  or  that  it  was,  as  Universal- 
ists now-a-days  contend,  namely,  that  it  was  merely  the  innocent 
appetite  of  the  first  woman. 

This  writer  also  makes  himself  much  sport  about  what  he 
calls  the  Christian  devil,  and  that  the  orthodox  hold  him,  or  ra- 
ther represent  him  as  the  great  rival  of  the  Eternal  God.  But 
this  we  deny,  as  there  can  be  no  rival  to  the  Supreme  Being. 
Satan  is  as  far  from  bearing  this  character  as  any  other  enemy 
of  all  holiness ;  as  the  utmost  he  can  do  is  to  tempt  such  as  are 
not  as  bad  as  himself,  and  such  as  are  on  probation.  But  if  or- 
thodox Christians  are  accused  of  setting  up  Satan  as  the  rival 
of  God,  whom  we  believe  to  be  a  fallen  angel,  what  are  we  to 
think  of  Universalists,  and  what  ought  they  to  think  of  them- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  57 

selves,  when  they  say  the  devil  of  the  Scriptures,  which  ihey 
believe  is  human  nature,  the  work  of  God's  own  hand,  is 
set  up  by  them  as  this  rival?  for  they  have  never  attempted  to 
abate  one  jot  or  tittle  of  the  virulence  of  this  devil,  but  allowed 
it  to  take  the  exact  place  of  the  orthodox  devil,  in  their  theology. 

Now,  who  most  dishonors  God,  the  orthodox  believer,  who 
says,  a  fallen  free-agent,  or  angel,  is  this  opponent  to  the  ways  of 
God,  or  the  Univcrsalist,  who  says  human  nature,  which  God 
himself  has  made,  is  this  opponent?  lias  God  made  an  enemy 
to  himself/  The  idea  is  unfounded  and  utterly  preposterous  and 
impossible.  In  support  of  the  opinion  that  it  was  a  fallen  angel 
called  Satan,  who  by  the  permission  of  Gcd,  for  a  wise  reason 
before  noticed,  we  bring  a  strange  concession  from  Mr.  Balfour 
himself,  on  this  subject,  which  the  reader  may  find  in  his  book, 
called  his  Second  Enquiry,  pages  58,  59.  He  says,  the  ancient 
heathen  Persians,  in  the  time  of  Job,  held  that  there  were  two 
gods  ;  the  one  the  author  of  all  good,  and  the  other  of  all  evil. 
This  latter  god,  however,  he  says,  the  Old  and  New  Testamc  nt 
esteemed  (seep.  56  of  the  Second  Enquiry)  as  the  principle  of 
evil  deified,  and  not  as  a  being.  But  whereabouts  this  is  so  con- 
sidercd  in  the  Bible  we  are  not  able  to  ascertain.  This  being 
the  case,  namely,  that  the  heathen  in  the  time  cf  Job  are  consid- 
ered, as  Balfour  says,  even  by  the  Bible  itself,  to  have  worshipped 
or  rather  deified  the  mere  principle  of  evil,  says,  "  it  is  strange, 
and  has  always  appeared  strange,  that  in  this  account  Satov,  (or 
this  evil,)  should  be  represented  as  conversing  freely  and  fami- 
liarly with  God."  This  we  consider  a  grand  concession  ;  as 
indeed  it  is  passing  strange  that  divine  inspiration  shculd  thus 
state  the  matter,  if  it  was  not  so  in  fact.  Would  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  moved  men  of  old  to  write  the  Scriptures,  have  so  far  re- 
spected the  opinion  of  the  heathen  Persians  of  the  lime  of  Job, 
as  to  have  given  it  the  name  of  Satan,  the  identily  of  a  being, 
and  of  such  a  beinc:  as  could  reason,  accuse,  abuse,  iradvee, 
pass  up  and  down  in  the  earth,  doing  any  and  all  things,  like  a 
real  being,  and  yet  a  mere  fiction,  or  abstract  principle,  which 
cannot  reason,  or  do  any  thing  else,  in  and  of  itself ;  for  if  there 
be  no  being  which  is  evil,  there  can  exist  no  abstract  evil.  Sa- 
tan is  a  being,  therefore,  and  so  considered  1  y  the  sense  of  the 
Scripture  ;  and  no  wonder  Mr.  Balfour  has  said,  "  it  has  always 
appeared  strange  to  him,  that  in  this  account,  Satan  should  be 
represented  as  conversing  freely  and  familial  ly  with  Gcd,"  a 
thing,  we  add,  an  abstract  principle  could  not  do. 

Balfour,  in  trying  to  show  that  Christianity,  as  held  lythe 
orthodox  sects,  respecting  the  being  of  the  devil,  was  d(  rived 
from  Xorodster,  the  great  reformer  of  the  more  ancient  ^:ai;ian 
religion  of  the  ancestors  of  the  ]\:cdes  and  Persians,  ai  d  that  in 
doing  this  he  incorporated  into  it  one  new  idea,  which  was  that 
there  was  one  supreme  and  eternal  God,  who  was  above  all.  and 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

was  the  author  of  all  good.  Previous  to  his  time,  they  had  held 
that  there  were  two  gods,  one  good  and  the  other  bad,  whose 
powers  were  equal ;  but  Zoroaster  exploded  this  doctrine,  and 
gave  to  the  Supreme  God  exclusive  rule,  the  same  as  the  Scrip- 
tures do,  while  the  evil  god  or  angel  was  far  less,  and  was  finally 
to  be  overcome  and  destroyed  in  everlasting  darkness.  He  also 
taught,  says  Balfour,  as  he  is  informed  by  P.  Michaelis,  the 
doctrine  of  a  final  resurrection.  No  doubt  both  these  opinions  he 
had  learned  of  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  as  he  thinks  he  was  a  Jew 
by  birth  and  education,  and  was  deeply  learned,  and  thinks  it 
very  likely  that  he  was,  when  young,  a  servant  to  one  of  the 
prophets,  of  whom  the  true  sense  of  the  Scriptures  might  have 
been  learned  by  him. 

All  this  we  do  not  doubt,  but  now  comes  the  wonder.  This 
same  Zoroaster  taught  also  the  doctrine  of  a  final  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  the  being  of  a  devil,  who  was  inferior  to  God,  just  the 
same  as  Christianity  teaches  now-a-days,  as  promulged  by  the 
orthodox  churches ;  and  yet  he  never  could  have  learned  it  from 
the  Bible,  says  Balfour,  when  both  opinions  had  been  taught 
many  hundred  years  before  Zoroaster  was  born,  both  by  Job 
and  by  Moses.  Is  not  this  a  wonder  ?  What  is  the  reason  that 
these  two  latter  doctrines  could  not  have  been  learned  of  him 
from  the  same  writings  that  the  other  two  were,  when  they  are 
equally  plainly  taught,  especially  in  the  book  of  Job.  How  is  it 
that  Zoroaster  could  learn  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  from  a 
mere  trait  in  the  book  of  Job,  where  he  says,  he  knew  that  his 
Redeemer  lived,  and  that  in  the  latter  day  he  should  stand  upon 
the  earth  :  and  that  although  worms  should  devour  his  skin,  yet 
in  his  flesh  he  should  see  God  ;  and  not  also  learn  a  belief  in  the 
being  of  the  devil,  when  it  is  over  and  over  again  taught  by  his 
being  named,  identified  and  conversed  with  by  the  Almighty  ? 

This  is  the  most  illogical  conclusion  we  have  ever  met  with  in 
the  writings  of  any  man,  for  Balfour  does  not  say  that  Zoroaster 
learned  the  opinion  of  the  inferiority  of  the  Persian  evil  god 
from  them,  but  invented  it  himself,  as  well  as  that  of  a  day  of 
judgment ;  and  on  this  account  he  is  chiefly  to  be  considered  as 
a  much  greater  impostor  than  Mahomet  was.  But  because  he 
taught  a  final  resurrection  from  the  dead,  he  is,  we  suppose,  in 
this,  no  impostor  at  all,  because  Universalists  believe  this:  but 
because  he  taught  as  he  had  learned  from  Moses,  Job  and  David, 
the  belief  in  a  hell,  a  devil,  and  a  day  of  judgment,  he  was  there- 
fore a  very  great  impostor — the  same  which  the  Saviour  and  all 
the  New-Testament  writers  taught,  and  yet  these  were  not  im- 
postors :  how  wonderful ! 

Here  follows  another  strange  conclusion,  and  equally  logical 
with  the  other  :  which  is,  (pages  70,  71,)  that  Zoroaster,  impostor 
as  he  was,  did  not  choose  to  make  God  the  author  of  evil,  and 
that  his  conscience  was  more  scrupulous  than  this — in  which  he 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  59 

excelled  some  Christians  ;  and  yet  Universalists  teaeh  us  a  doc- 
trine, everywhere  to  be  viewed,  that  if  the  evil  exists  at  all,  it  is 
by  the  appointment  of  the  Creator,  for  the  wisest  and  best  of  pur- 
poses ;  for,  says  Ballon,  God  has  a  use  for  every  volition  of  man, 
and  that  he  is  so  situated  as  that  he  acts  wholly  from  necessity. 
Whose  conscience  in  this  thing  is  the  best,  the  universalist  or  the 
orthodox  ?  We  leave  Universalists  themselves  to  judge;  for  we 
make  evil  to  arise  from  the  abuse  of  free-agency,  while  Univer- 
salists make  God  its  direct  author.  They  are  worse,  therefore, 
from  their  own  showing,  than  Zoroaster  was. 

We  conclude  this  chapter,  therefore,  being  satisfied  that  it  is 
impossible  for  any  man,  after  duly  considering  this  subject,  to 
deny  that  Moses  has  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  the  Jews,  their 
prophets,  to  Jesus  Christ  and  his  disciples,  and  the  church  in  all 
ages — stated  as  plainly  as  pleased  the  holy  ghost — that  Satan,  an 
evil  apostate  or  fallen  angel,  beguiled  the  first  woman  with  argu- 
ments and  false  reasoning,  such  as  no  beast  or  the  appetites  of 
Adam  and  Eve,  could  ever  have  made  use  of,  as  neither  of  them 
were  capable,  in  the  least  degree,  of  moral  perception,  or  power 
of  reasoning  ;  leaving  the  mind  convinced  that  there  must  have 
been  just  such  a  being  as  the  devil  is  supposed  to  be,  who  misled 
her,  or  she  was  not  misled  at  all.  Or  if,  as  Mr.  Ballou  supposes, 
the  whole  account  of  Eve's  fall  is  but  an  allegory,  intended  to 
teach  the  final  predominance  of  her  passions  over  her  reason — 
yet,  this  will  not  meet  even  one  difficulty,  arising  out  of  such  a  posi- 
tion. For  if  Moses  invented  an  allegory  for  the  above  pupose— 
namely,  to  illustrate  the  power  of  Eve's  passions  over  her  reason 
and  innocence,  yet  it  could  not  have  been  right,  or  according  to 
truth,  for  her  to  make  his  allegory  tell  lies,  as  he  has,  if  the  ac- 
count is  bat  allegory.  But  how  is  this,  says  one  ;  how  docs  it 
tell  lies,  even  allowing  the  account  to  be  an  allegory?  We  will 
show  you — does  not  Moses  say,  that  the  serpent  (which  Mr. 
Balfour  says  was  her  lusts  or  appetites  for  food,)  told  her  that  her 
eyes  should  be  opened,  and  that  she  should  become  as  the  geds, 
in  the  day  she  should  eat  of  that  fruit.  Now  this  was  false  in 
the  allegory,  as  it  was  impossible  for  the  serpent  (if  that  serpent 
was  nothing  more  than  her  appetites.)  for  it  to  fore/ell  any  thing 
about  it,  as  there  is  no  perception  in  the  mere  cravings  of  hun- 
ger, or  any  other  animal  desire  of  her  nature,  or  in  any  body  else, 
since  the  world  began.  E\es  whole  powers  of  body,  mind  and 
spirit,  put  together,  could  never  have — unaided  by  supernatural 
assistance— foreseen,  foretold,  or  foreknown,  one  jot  or  tittle  of 
the  effects  of  her  eating  that  fruit;  how  much  'ess,  therefore,  her 
appetites,  or  the  serpent  of  Universalists.  To  suppose  it  was  an 
allegory,  is  much  worse  than  Balfour's  opinion,  which  is  that  it 
was  a  real  conflict,  or  dialogue,  in  her  mind,  relative  to  eating  of 
that  tree;  it  is  worse,  because  the  sense  is  more  hidden  and'ab- 


GO  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

struse,  and  less  calculated  to  inform  the  reader  what  the  real  facts 
were,  and  how  the  law  of  God  was  infringed. 

There  is  another  view  of  the  matter,  which  goes  far  to  show 
that  there  was  an  evil  spirit,  or  fallen  angel  engaged  in  Eve's 
ruin  ;  and  this  is,  that  Eve  could  not  have  been  hungry  at  the 
time,  as  she  had  universal  and  unlimited  access  to  all  the  fruits 
of  Eden.  It  is  true  that  the  text  states,  that  when  she  saw  the 
tree  was  good  for  food  that  she  did  eat.  But  this  was  no  reason 
why  she  tasted  it ;  as  her  only  and  highest  reason  was,  she  had 
been  told  that  it  would  make  her  icise,  and  as  wise  as  the  gcds, 
or  holy  angels  of  heaven,  who,  no  doubt,  she  often  saw  and  con- 
versed with.  Now  if  there  is  no  good  reason  to  suppose  she  was 
hungry  at  the  time,  then  there  is  left  no  good  reasoning  why 
she  should  taste  it,  except  being  incited  so  to  do,  by  an  evil  spirit, 
of  whom  it  is  said  expressly,  under  the  name  of  serpent,  that  he  be- 
guiled her  in  that  matter  ;  and  thus  understood  all  the  writers  of 
the  New  Testament,  who  have  spoken  of  the  fall  of  Eve.  The 
whole  stress  of  the  matter  is  laid  on  her  estimation  of  the  power 
the  fruit  had  of  making  her  wise,  while  the  circumstance  of  its 
being  good  for  food,  was  but  secondary,  or  of  small  account ; 
unless  we  suppose  her  a  hungry  voracious  animal,  seeking  every- 
where, as  her  chief  good,  that  which  could  sustain  her  body  only. 


Origin  of  Satan,  and    Cause  of  Sin,  with  many  Curious 
Subjects  connected  therewith. 

Having  thus  far  treated  on  the  subject  of  the  identity  of  the 
creature,  called  in  the  English  translation  of  Genesis,  the  serpent, 
and  of  the  being  who  used  it  as  an  instrument  of  deception,  as  pre- 
liminary to  our  main  object;  we  now  hasten  to  ascertain  the 
origin  of  Satan,  and  cause  of  sin,  or  moral  evil,  if  there  be 
such  a  being,  and  if  there  be  real  moral  evil  at  all — which  many 
Universalists  deny.  But  were  we  now  to  adopt  the  opinion  of 
Universalists,  with  several  other  sects  of  the  same  genus,  we 
should  save  ourselves  the  labor  of  writing  the  present  work  ;  as 
we  should  at  once  discover  the  being  of  Satan,  such  as  they  be- 
lieve him  to  be,  to  have  been  produced  by  the  will  and  power 
of  God  ;  inasmuch  as  these  people  believe  that  there  is  no  such 
being  in  existence,  but  a  principle  only,  which  they  call  the 
evil  principle,  or  devil :  and  consists  of  the  bad  passions  of  the 
human  soul,  and  appetites  of  the  body:  and  that  they  were 
placed  there  by  the  Creator,  at  the  moment  of  man's  creation,  for 
good  and  wise  purposes.  It  is  impossible  to  manage  this  ques- 
tion in  any  but  one  of  two  ways ;  either  there  must  be  a  real 
personal  spiritual  Satan,  or  being  distinct  in  existence/rom  man, 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  61 

or  man  is  as  he  should  be,  in  the  sight  of  God — pure,  innocent, 
and  holy— arid  not  fallen  and  corrupted,  as  generally  supposed 
and  believed.  Because,  to  us  it  appears  monstrous  and  absurd, 
to  suppose  man  was  created  with  latent  and  inherent  tendencies, 
or  principles,  which  were  to  produce,  and  have  produced,  the 
immense  mass  of  natural  and  moral  evil,  now  and  always  extant, 
since  the  fall,  and  would  seem  an  impeachment  of  the  goodness, 
wisdom,  and  power  of  God.  For  God  cannot  be  good,  if  he  is 
•the  author  of  moral,  and  consequently  of  natural  evil.  He  can- 
not be  wise  in  instituting  a  scene  of  things,  so  horrible,  and 
contrary  to  all  moral  happiness.  He  cannot  be  'powerful,  nor 
good,  or  he  would  have  prevented,  if  he  consistently  could,  so 
dreadful  a  state  of  things  as  now,  and  ever  has  existed  in  the 
world. 

We  need  not  draw  out  an  argument  here,  to  prove  that  the 
earth  mourns,  through  all  her  tribes  over  its  entire  surface,  among 
the  ranks  of  man,  that  temporal  and  moral  death  have  the  whole 
race  in  their  grasp.  We  need  not  personate  the  monster — war, 
whose  jaws  are  reeking  with  the  blood  of  millions: — we  need 
not  mention  famine, — diseases  of  mind  and  body, — with  all  the 
catalogue  of  sorrows,  more  in  number  than  human  calculation 
can  make  out,  which  are  now  the  inheritagc  of  man  : — we  need 
not  bring  to  view  a  picture  of  all  the  horrid  passions  of  the  souls 
of  both  cultivated  and  uncultivated  men,  as  exhibited  in  pride, 
in  lust,  in  falsehood,  in  anger,  in  selfishness,  in  prejudice,  in 
bigotry,  in  the  love  of  dominion,  in  treachery,  impiety,  and  reck- 
lessness of  spirit,  to  prove  that  moral  evil  exists ;  as  no  man 
denies  it,  except  such  as  do  not  receive  the  Bible  as  the  man  of 
their  council,  and  guide  of  life.  Yet  there  are  those  who  profess 
even  Christianity,  and  at  the  same  time,  unwitingly,  and  others 
designedly  deny  the  fall  of  man  into  a  sinful  state,  by  saying  that 
all  this  evil  is  but  seeming  evil,  and  is  necessary  for  human  hap- 
piness, upon  the  whole,  by  way  of  contrast ;  and  such  are  Uni- 
versalists,  with  all  of  that  school.  To  maintain  this  belief  res- 
pecting natural  evil,  were  it  not,  say  they,  for  labor  and  weari- 
ness, wre  could  know  no  rest:— were  it  not  for  hunger  and 
thirst,  we  should  know  no  pleasure  in  the  use  of  food  and 
pleasant  drinks: — were  it  not  for  weariness,  we  should  know 
no  sweet  repose : — were  it  not  for  silence  and  want  of  soci- 
ety, the  power  of  speech,  conversation,  could  have  no  charms :— - 
were  it  not  for  a  contrariety  of  thoughts,  concord  and  harmony 
could  not  be  distinguished  as  a  blessing: — were  it  not  for  a  vari- 
ety of  fancy,  the  joy  of  choice  could  have  no  being.  All  of 
which  is  true,  and  not  even  inconsistent  with  a  Paradisical  state 
of  innocence  and  purity:  if  not  carried  to  extremes,  as  could  not 
have  been  the  case,  if  man  had  not  fallen ;  as  his  prudence 
and  equanimity  of  temperament,  would  have  in  such  a  case 
prevented  this  forever.     But  when  the  idea  respecting  contrast- 


02  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

ing  temporal  good  and  evil  is  made  to  apply  to  our  'present  con- 
dition, now  that  we  are  fallen  ;  it  is  as  much  as  to  say,  that  natu- 
ral evil  is  a  natural  good,  and  supposes  that  were  it  not  for  pains, 
distresses,  and  sickness,  we  could  know  nothing  of  the  joys  of 
health  ;  were  it  not  for  famine,  we  could  know  nothing  of  the 
happines  of  plenty ;  were  it  not  for  tear  and  murder  with  all 
their  horrors,  we  could  know  nothing  of  a  state  of  peace  and 
safety ;  were  it  not  for  nakedness  we  could  know  nothing  of  the 
pleasure  of  comfortable  habiliments ;  such  a  notion  would  be  but 
the  evidence  of  theological  and  fanatical  insanity,  because  all 
these  blessings  are  easily  appreciated,  intuitively,  without  expe- 
riencing their  opposites,  as  such  is  the  constituted  and  natural 
ability  of  our  race,  when  left  to  the  free  use,  action,  and  power  of 
reasoning.  But  when  this  contrast  doctrine  is  carried  forward, 
and  made  to  apply  its  influence  in  a  moral  light,  it  is  still  more 
ridiculous :  for  if  we  say,  (which  is  proper  to  say,  if  the  doctrine 
of  contrasts  is  true,  in  order  to  find  out  what  happiness  is,)  that 
we  can  know  nothing  of  the  happiness  of  truth  and  veracity  till 
we  have  lied  a  few  times — nothing  of  the  comforts  of  sympathy 
and  kindness,  till  we  have  been  cruelly  treated  and  oppressed — 
nothing  of  the  joys  of  chastity  of  mind  and  person,  till  we  have 
outraged  all  decency — nothing  of  the  happiness  of  civilized  soci- 
ety, based  on  christian  principles,  till  we  have  passed  through  a 
state  of  anti-christian  anarchy  and  confusion — nothing  of  the 
bliss  of  piety  toward  God,  till  we  have  been  all  that  is  vile,  abom- 
inable and  revolting,  in  person  and  action;  as  if  moral  and  phy- 
sical happiness,  could  not  be  appreciated,  nor  enjoyed,  only  by 
the  experience  of  passing  through  the  horrid  ordeal  of  opposites. 

Did  the  Creator  thus  constitute  our  condition,  and  make  evil 
necessary  to  our  happiness  ?  then  evil  is  not  evil,  but  a  good, 
equal  with  good  itself.  And  if  this  was  the  way  in  which  it  was 
appointed  for  man  to  ascertain  temporal  good,  we  have  a  right  to 
the  other  supposition,  as  expressed  above,  in  relation  to  the  as- 
certainment of  moral  good ;  which  would  also  make  sin  or  moral 
evil  necessary  to  our  moral  happiness ;  and  therefore,  in  the  eco- 
nomy of  God,  militates  as  much  for  our  happiness,  as  moral  good 
can  possibly  be  supposed  to  do.  But  this  was  not  the  way  in 
which  man  was  constituted  ;  for  God  made  them  upright,  mo- 
rally upright,  and  indeed  we  scarcely  need  the  Scriptures  to  tell 
uh  this,  as  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  have  made  them,  or  any 
other  beings,  otherwise  than  good  and  morally  upright,  of  the  in- 
tellectual cast  of  existences. 

It  does  not  appear  from  the  Scriptures,  nor  from  any  reasoning 
we  are  acquainted  with,  that  man  moved  himself  to  sin  and 
ruin;  and  much  less  does  it  appear,  if  it  were  possible,  that  God 
so  modified  the  powers  of  their  minds,  as  that  a  prcponderency 
of  the  passions  and  powers  of  the  mind  existed  toward  moral  evil, 
(as  Ballou  supposes)  and  finally  tumbled  him  into  the  gulph 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  63 

where  the  atonement  found  him,  as  such  a  feat  would  have  been 
the  child  and  offspring  of  divine  purity,  an  idea  almost  too  mon- 
strous for  existence.  Wherefore,  we  conclude,  that  if  there  was 
no  foreign  tempter,  no  devil,  no  Satan,  or  real  being  called  the 
serpent  in  all  parts  of  the  Scripture,  where  the  fall  of  man  is  al- 
luded to,  whose  cunning  and  subtilty  bore  eminently  upon  that 
catastrophe,  and  introduction  of  moral  evil  into  the  world;  then 
man  is  not  fallen,  is  not  corrupted,  has  not  departed  from  his 
original  condition,  and  is  now  as  good,  and  as  holy  in  nature, 
and  as  upright,  and  has  still  as  much  the  image  and  impress  of 
God  on  his  mind  and  soul,  as  it  respects  moral  rectitude,  as  he 
had  the  moment  God  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life, 
and  gave  him  an  eternal  spirit,  or  living  soul :  all  is  now  right, 
however  bad  it  may  seem  to  be.  as  man  could  not  trill  to  move 
himself  to  evil,  being  pure  in  his  very  nature,  like  his  glorious 
Creator.  On  this  ground,  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer  is  but  a 
fiction,  as  it  could  not  have  been  of  God,  as  there  was  nothing 
to  redeem ;  no  apostacy  had  taken  place,  and  therefore  no  expia- 
tory sacrifice,  nor  any  other  kind  of  atonement  was  required,  on 
man's  account ;  being  as  he  should  be,  or  as  he  was  created  by 
the  Most  High  at  first. 

These  sects,  therefore,  who  disbelieve  the  existence  of  such  a 
being  as  Satan,  and  that  he  was  the  moving  cause  of  man's  fall 
into  sin,  if  there  is  any  sin,  are,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  discern, 
uncalled  for  in  the  Christian  world,  as  there  is,  on  that  position, 
no  sin  to  be  reproved,  none  to  be  repented  of,  or  to  suffer  for,  or 
to  be  pardoned ;  a  Redeemer  is  not  needed,  deism  is  true :  on 
which  account,  we  cannot  but  look  upon  those  sects,  and  espe- 
cially the  Universal ists,  as  insincere  and  mercenary  in  their 
Christian  professions,  and  their  exertions  to  disciple  and  raise 
up  churches  through  the  world,  for  the  promotion  of  their  dog 
mas,  as  mere  priestcraft,  duping  the  public  with  stories  about  sin, 
and  that  men  have  need  of  God's  mercy — which  they  do  not, 
nor  cannot,  as  Universalists  themselves  believe,  for  the  reasons 
above  written. 

But  whether  there  is  a  devil  or  not,  we  shall  in  the  course  of 
this  work  further  determine,  if  the  Scriptures  are  allowed  to  be  a 
guide  in  such  an  inquiry,  while  for  the  present,  and  for  reasons 
already  given,  we  shall  hold  there  is,  and  proceed  to  inquire  from 
whence  he  came,  or  the  cause  of  his  existence — as  all  things 
must  have  a  cause,  God  alone  excepted,  who  is  uncaused,  and 
cannot  therefore  be  spoken  of  as  among  the  number  of  entities, 
called  things,  as  lie  is  a  being  above  and  distinct  from  all  things, 
or  creatures,  whatever,  whether  material  or  immaterial. 

In  our  attempt,  as  above  proposed,  to  account  for  the  being  of 
Satan  and  cause  of  sin,  it  becomes  necessary  to  put  on  the  swift 
wings  of  imagination,  and  travel  back  through  countkess  ages,  up 
to  a  time  when  the  Divine  Being  put  forth  his  first  creative  act. 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

And  although  we  believe  the  Almighty  is  from  everlasting,  and 
that  he  exists  of  necessity,  yet  we  are  compelled  to  believe 
that  a  first  act  of  creative  power,  did  take  place,  at  some  period 
in  past  eternity ;  so  to  speak.  To  deny  a  first  act  of  creative 
power,  which  produced  that  which  did  not  before  exist,  is  to 
make  all  the  items  of  creation  as  eternal  as  God  is  himself;  and 
if  so,  were  consequently  never  created  at  all.  Now  if  any  por- 
tions of  matter  or  spiritual  being  exist,  without  having  been  crea- 
ted, God  excepted,  then  all  may  so  exist ;  and  if  so,  then  a 
creator  is  not  called  for,  and  does  not  therefore  exist,  on  that 
hypothesis ;  as  two  eternal  beings,  matter  and  spirit,  cannot  have 
existed  from  everlasting.  God,  of  necessity,  if  he  exists  at  all, 
existed  before  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things  were  made, 
whether  spirit  or  matter.  On  this  subject,  however,  some  have 
said,  that  as  the  Divine  Being  is  an  Eternal  Being,  that  he  is 
therefore,  an  eternal  worker ;  by  which  argument,  it  is  shown, 
that  God's  xcorks  are  as  eternal  as  himself,  which  is  impossible. 
But  it  does  not  follow,  that  because  he  always  had  the  power  to 
work,  that  he  has  always  done  so  ;  as  the  exercise  of  that  power 
is  always  optional  with  him,  or  he  could  not  be  a  free  spirit  or 
being,  as  he  declares  himself  to  be.  but  would  be  unceasingly 
subject  to  his  attribute  of  power,  doing  perpetually  all  he  can  by 
way  of  creation,  and  all  he  can  by  way  of  destruction. 

On  the  subject  whether  matter  is  eternal  or  not,  see  the  rea- 
soning of  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  in  his  Commentary  on  Heb.  xi.  6, 
which  is  termed  a  mode  of  reasoning  a-priori,  or  proofs  that  it 
is  impossible  for  God  not  to  have  existed  as  he  is  ;  a  mode  of 
reasoning  winch  does  not  attempt  to  prove  his  being,  from  any 
of  his  works,  or  from  that  which  appears  in  nature,  but  alto- 
gether from  reasonings  a-priori  as  follows :  "  First. — If  there  be 
no  one  being  in  the  universe,  but  such  as  might  possibly  not 
have  been,  it  follows,  that  there  might  possibly  have  been  no 
existence  at  all :  and  if  that  could  be  so,  it  would  be  also  possi- 
ble that  the  present  existence  might  have  arisen  from,  or  out  of, 
total  non-existence,  which  is  absurd  and  impossible.  Therefore, 
it  is  not  possible,  that  there  might  have  been  no  existence  at  all : 
consequently  an  impossibility  of  not  existing,  must  be  found 
somewhere  ;  there  must  have  been  a  being  whose  non-existence 
is  impossible.  Second. — The  whole  nature  of  an  unoriginated 
being,  or  aggregate  of  his  attributes,  must  be  unoriginated, 
and  necessarily  what  they  are.  A  being  cannot  produce  its  own 
attributes;  for'  this  would  suppose  it  acted  before  it  existed. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  this  being  that  is  contingent, 
or  that  could  have  been  otherwise  than  it  is ;  for  whatever  is 
contingent  must  have  a  cause,  to  determine  its  mode  of  exis- 
tence. Third.— The  attributes  of  an  unoriginated  being  must  be 
possessed  by  it  unlimitedly  ;  for,  to  possess  an  attribute  imper- 
fectly, or  only  in  a  certain  degree,  must  suppose  some  cause 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  65 

to  have  modified  this  toeing,  so  as  to  make  him  incapable  of  hav- 
ing that  attribute  in  any  other  than  an  imperfect  degree.     But 
no  cause  can  be  admitted  in  this  case,  because  this  is  the  first 
of  all  beings,  and  the  cause  of  all  things.     Further,  an  imperfect 
attribute,  or  any  one,  that  is  not  in  its  highest  degree,  must  be 
capable  oi   improvement,  by  exercise  and  experience:  which 
would  imply  that  the  unoriginated  being  must  have  been  origin- 
ally imperfect ;  and  that  he  is  deriving  further  degrees  of  per- 
fection, from  the  exercise  of  his  own  powers,  and  acquaintance 
with  his  own  works,  which  is  absurd,  and  would  make  the  Divine 
Being  indebted  to  his  own  works  for  his  unlimited  perfections. 
Fourth. — The  unoriginated  being  must  exist  everywhere,  in  the 
same  manner  he  docs  anywhere;  for  if  he  did  not,  it  would 
suppose  some  cause,  by  which  his  presence  was  limited,  but 
there  can  be  no  cause  to  limit  that  presence,  as  before  said. 
Fifth. — This   unoriginated  being,  must  be  a  simple  uncom- 
pounded  being,  identically  the  same  everywhere  ;  not  consisting 
of  parts,  for  these  must  be  distinct  and  independent ;  nor  oi  whole, 
for  this  is  the  agsregrate  of  parts ;  nor  of  magnitude,  or  quan- 
tity, for  these  signify  a  composition  oi  parts.     This  being  must 
be  as  truly  one,  and  omnipresent,  as  the  present  moment  of  time 
is  indivisibly  one,  in  all  places  at  once ;  and  can  no  more  be 
limited  or  measured  by  time,  than  the  present  moment  can  be 
measured  by  duration.     Hence,  this  being  cannot  be  matter, 
because  to  this  belongs  extension,  divisibility,  figurability  and 
mobility,  which  imply  limitation  :  God  and  matter  have  essen- 
tially contrary  properties,  as  God  is  not  material  but  immaterial. 
Jt  has  already  been  shown,  that  there  necessarily  must  exist, 
one  infinite,  unoriofinated.  and  eternal  being.     Now  this  beino- 
must  be  a  thinking  being  ;  for  it  is  as  impossible  to  conceive,  that 
unthinking  matter  could  produce  a  thinking  intelligent  being, 
as  it  is  to  conceive  that  nothing  could  produce  something.     God 
therefore  is  not  indebted  to  matter  for  his  being.     Let  us  suppose 
any  parcel  of  matter  to  be  eternal,  we  shall  find  it  in  itself,  una- 
ble to  produce  anything.     Let  us  suppose  its  parts  firmly  at  rest 
together;  if  there  were  no  other  being,  must  it  not  eternally  re- 
main so,  a  dead  inactive  lump?  is  it  possible  to  conceive  that  it 
can  add  motion  to  itself,  or  produce  it,  in  other  portions   of 
matter  ?     Matter,  therefore,  by  its  own  strength,  cannot  produce 
in  itself,  so  much  as  motion.     The  motion  it  has,  must  also  be 
from  eternity,  or  else  added  to  matter  by  some  other  being  more 
powerful  than  itself.     But  let  us  suppose  motion  eternal  too  ;  yet 
matter,  unthinking  matter  and    motion,  could  never  produce 
thought.     Knowledge  will  still  be  as  far  beyond  the  power  of 
motion  and  matter  to  produce,  as  matter  is  beyond  the  power  of 
nothing  to  produce.     Divide  matter  into  as  minute  parts  as  you 
will,  vary  the  figure  and  motion  of  it,  as  much  as  you  please,  it 

5 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

will  operate  no  other  ways  upon  other  bodies  of  proportionate 
bulk,  than  it  did  before  this  division.  The  minutest  particles  of 
matter  strike,  impel  and  resist  one  another,  just  as  the  greater  do  ; 
and  that  is  all  that  they  can  do.  So  that  if  we  will  suppose  noth- 
ing eternal,  matter  can  never  begin  to  be.  If  we  suppose  bare 
matter,  without  motion,  eternal,  then  motion  can  never  begin 
to  be.  If  we  suppose  only  matter  and  motion  eternal,  then 
thought  can  never  begin  to  be.  For  it  is  impossible  to  conceive, 
that  matter,  either  with  or  without  motion,  could  have  originally. 
in  and  from  itself,  sense,  perception,  and  knowledge  ;  as  is  evi- 
dent from  hence,  that  sense,  perception,  and  knowledge,  must  be 
properties  eternally  separate  from  matter,  and  every  particle  of 
it.  It  necessarily  follows,  therefore,  that  the  Eternal  Being  can- 
not be  matter,  but  a  being  of  infinite  and  eternal  perception. 
Sixth. — This  being  must  possess  intelligence,  and  poicer  un- 
limited, and  all  other  attributes,  that  are  in  themselves  absolute 
perfections.  Attributes  are  divided  into  natural  and  rnoraL  or 
primary  and  secondary.  The  first,  are  those  which  essentially 
belong  to  the  nature  of  a  being  considered  in  itself;  the  second, 
in  its" manner  of  acting  towards  others.  All  the  attributes  of 
God  being  uncontingent,  must  be  unlimited ;  and,  therefore,  his 
knowledge  must"  extend  to  all  that  does  or  can  exist,  or  that 
cannot  and  never  \y\\\  exist ;  "and  his  power  to  do  every  thing 
that  can  be  done,"  and  there  is  nothing  which  is  consistent  with 
truth,  harmony,  and  reason,  and  God  the  judge  of  that  truth, 
harmony,  and "  reason,  that  is  impossible  for  God  to  do,  Sev- 
enth.— There  cannot  be  in  the  universe  more  than  one  unoriginat- 
ed  being :  for  as  this  being  is  possessed  of  infinite  attributes,  let  us 
suppose  a  second  unoriginatcd  being.  He  must  possess  the 
same:  for  both  these  beings  are  eternal,  and  necessarily  the 
same,  everywhere  alike  present,  without  any  possible  difference 
or  distinction,  and  therefore  one  and  the  same.  Two  such  can- 
not subsist :  and  the  supposition  of  a  second  such  being,"  is  as 
absurd  as  twenty  would  be,  and  would  therefore  be  "only  a  men- 
tal repetition  of  the  being  and  attributes  of  the  first.  Eighth.— 
Absolute  power,  as  an  attribute  of  God.  does  not  act  of  necessity, 
but  freely,"  and  as  directed  by  his  will ;  "the  power  may  exist 
without  being  exerted  ;  if  it  cannot,  then  it  acts  by  necessity  ; 
and  if  so,  then  necessity  is  the  agent,  and  not  the  free"'  will  "of 
the  independent  God  ;  he  can  do  what  he  will;  but  lie  will  do 
only  what  is  right,"  as  he  cannot  will  what  is  wrong,  any  more 
than  lie  can  cease  to  be. 

Matter,  therefore,  as  above  argued,  we  perceive,  whether  con- 
nected with  spirit  or  otherwise,  cannot  be  from  eternity.  The 
doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  matter,  accordingly,  is  unfounded  in 
reason*  as  some  philosophers  affect  to  believe  ;  setting  up  a  god 
which  they  call  nature,  while  they  deny  the  author  of  nature, 
which  is  nothing  but  a  system  of  spirit  and  matter,  produced  by 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  67 

his  will  and  power.  Matter  as  matter,  whether  animate  or  inani- 
mate, whether  existing  in  the  four  great  elelements,  earth,  air, 
fire  and  water,  or  as  amalgamated  in  the  forms  of  animals  or 
men,  is  not  endowed  with  the  power  of  thought ;  and  more  than 
this — it  has  not,  as  matter,  even  one  sensation,  as  the  moment 
a  certain  principle  called  life,  ceases  to  animate  a  body,  it  ceases 
to  have  tiie  sensation  of  feeling,  although  there  is  not  a  particle 
less  of  matter,  than  a  moment  before  this  principle  left  it.  Mat- 
ter as  matter,  is  not  capable  of  hearing,  seeing,  smelling,  tasting, 
nor  feeling;  as  the  instant  that  mysterious  principle  called  life, 
passes  away,  these  powers  go  with  it,  and  who  can  say  that  they 
do  not  in  some  unknown  manner  continue,  and  attach  them- 
selves to  the  spirits  of  men,  in  a  disembodied  condition,  and  thus 
are  held  in  reserve  against  the  hour  of  the  resurrection,  to  be- 
come in  another  state  constituent  parts  of  the  mode  of  being 
which  shall  then  be  entered  into  ;  when  the  soul,  which  is  the  five 
senses  with  the  passions  ;  and  spirit,  which  is  the  mind,  and  the 
body,  which  is  the  companion  of  both,  shall  again  be  eternally 
united,  either  for  good  or  ill,  as  character  will  decide.  But  some 
have  strangely  imagined,  that  the  organization  of  matter  pro- 
duces mind,  a  species  of  being  wholly  distinct  from  the  nature 
of  matter.  Were  this  so,  we  should  have  one  instance,  at  least, 
'  of  an  effect's  rising  above  its  cause,  which  sentiment,  in  philoso- 
phy, is  held  by  all  classes  of  reasoners,  as  wholly  absurd ;  be- 
cause mind  is  superior  to  matter,  however  it  may  be  organized. 
Rational  mind  is  not,  therefore,  the  result  of  organization ;  it  is 
a  result  of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God,  and  was  an  endow- 
ment superadded  to  the  formation  and  organization  of  the  human 
body,  by  which  that  body  of  organized  matter  was  to  be  governed. 
If  then  it  is  superior  to  the  body,  and  is  the  effect  of  the  power 
and  wisdom  of  God,  in  a  sense  superior  to  the  creation  of  matter, 
it  is  then  immortal  of  necessity,  on  account  of  its  origin  and  paren- 
tage, who  is  the  God,  of  whom  it  is  said,  that  he  is  the  Father  of 
the  spirits  of  all  flesh  ;  namely,  of  all  human  flesh,  in  a  differ- 
ent and  more  exalted  way  than  lie  is  of  the  spirits  of  dumb  beasts. 
As  to  atheistical  opinion  that  matter  is  eternal ;  and  that  out  of 
organized  matter,  mind,  or  spirit  arises ;  it  is  refuted,  When  we 
recollect  that  mind  is  superior  to  matter,  and  therefore  could 
never  have  been  produced  in  that  way,  as  an  effect  can  never 
exceed  in  excellence  its  cause.  But  this  conclusion  is  met  as 
Atheists  suppose  :  when  they  contend,  but  do  not  maintain,  that 
mind,  spirit,  or  thought,  is  but  mere  matter  after  all,  though  of  a 
very  refined  and  delicate  description  ;  yet,  is  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  pure  matter,  the  product  of  organization,  as  in  the  case  of 
man  and  all  other  animals.  But  this  conclusion  is  still  refuted, 
by  another  view  of  the  subject  as  follows :  If  mind,  spirit  and 
thought,  is  matter,  an  accumulation  of  this  kind  of  matter,  must 
at  last,  where  a  sufficient  amount  of  these  delicate  particles  are 


OS  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

collected  together,  become  tangible  :  as  it  is  impossible  to  have 

any  other  conception  of  the  subject  than  this,  on  the  principle 
that  like  begets  like,  through  all  the  ranks  of  being  of  a  terestial 

character.  If  mind  is  matter,  then  thoughts,  which  are  the 
Esniing  of  mind,  are  but  the  finer  particles  of  such  matter  ;  arid 
may  therefore  be  supposed  as  being  capable  of  an  accumulation. 
-  I  become  tangible.  Now  can  this  be  shown  to  ever  have 
happened,  during  all  the  past  ages  of  the  earth  !  It  cannot  be 
shown  :  notwithstanding  their  incessant  product  ion  and  accumu- 
lation above  every  other  production  of  organized  matter,  as  to 
numbers  and  multitudes.  Were  all  the  human  race  now  living. 
with  all  that  may  yet  come  into  being,  not  only  on  this  globe, 
but  on  all  globes  of  the  universe,  during  unending  ages,  to  rix 
their  thoughts  on  one  located  point,  however  small,  there  would 
not  appear  the  least  particle  of  matter :  neither  would  there  be 
any  disorder  in  their  condition,  on  account  of  that  focal  point, 
no  more  man  if  such  accumulation  of  thought  had  never  existed. 
This  conclusion,  arises  out  of  the  fact  that  no  such  accumula- 
tion, ..ranee  of  matter,  has  ever  taken  place,  as  arising  out 
of  such  a  cause.  The  products  of  organized  matter,  in  all  other 
instances,  as  of  animal  or  vegetable  existencies.  can  be.  and  are 
made  tangible,  to  some  one  or  more  of  the  senses,  by  accumula- 
tion, however  refined,  in  odors,  gasses,  or  otherwise  :  yet  this 
product  of  matter,  called  mind,  spirit,  or  thought,  has  never  been 
thus  collected  and  made  tangible :  and  until  it  can  be  done  we 
claim  the  argument,  which  denies  that  mind  or  spirit  is  the  pro- 
duct of  matter :  but  the  exact  contrary  ;  matter  must  have  mind 
:  :  ts  origin,  and  that  mind  is  God  the  creator  of  all.  That 
mind  is  not  matter,  is  farther  shown,  from  the  fact  |  though  hinted 
at  above  that  real  matter  of  any  and  all  kinds,  however  gross 
or  rarified.  is  perceiveable  by  some  one  or  all  the  senses :  as 
manifested  by  smelling,  tasting,  feeling,  hearing  and  seeing. 
By.:  mind  is  not  thus  ascertained  :  mind  cannot  be  seen,  heard, 
smelt,  felt  nor  las  I  we  know  it  exists :  and  therefore  is 
not  matter  nor  the  product  of  matter,  or  it  could  be  tested  by 
some  one  or  all  of  the  sens 

All  the  organizations  which  are  called  animal  organizations, 
we  ascertain  is  produced  by  this  creator  :  who.  in  the  creation  of 
each  species,  not  only  made  them  male  and  female,  but  orave 
them  the  desire  and  the  power  to  propagate  :  by  winch,  we  per- 
ceive designs,  of  winch  mere  matter  is  not  capable.  Were  the 
earth  of  itself,  anciently  capable  of  producing  animal  organiza- 
tion, as  we  find  now  existing ;  what  is  the  reason  it  does  not 
now  produce  them  :  and  why  has  it  not  done  so  in  all  past  ages, 
as  far  back  as  the  annals  of  man  extend  ?  No  Atheist  can  answer 
this.  All  the  operations  of  chance,  as  the  falling  of  trees,  the 
casting  their  leaves,  the  tumbling1  of  buildings,  when  thrown 
down  by  the  winds,  or  by  convulsions,  the  drift-wood  of  a  head- 


ANGELS  OF  THE 

-  stream  :  are  a]]  alive  of  the  conih- 

nps  the  mass  r.ith  disar:  at     But 

seen  in  I  :  the 

theanang  of  the  worlds  in  .';eir 

vek  on  and  repulsion  of  each  various 

pro  rising  anted  p. 

nit;  on  of  mind;  for 

at  it.  that  chance  is  noth  .  onfusion,  and  n 

r  and  me  J  arrangement,  of  which 

ijcated  in  Christian  countri  .   I  to  ac- 

knowle/; 

nal  icham  nechan< 

uni  than  to  rial  existence  of  mere 

tter,  whi:  ;.  and  therefore  could  n 

l  in  1       .- 
I-  God  mind  or 

matter,  are  not  from  etern  :  of  neoe 

that  there  was  a  ftfVM 
and  at  period  it  was  that  the  m 

also  follows,  that  as  much  of  bou:.  rnity  had  al- 

ready been,  as  shall  ewes  be.  from  that  time  or  period — as  it  is 
impossr  _*ht.  to  make  ard  the 

boundaries  of  that  which  is  boundless,  or  of  that  which  has  no 
eginning.     B .::  ^  low  from  th  vho  has 

am  himself  to  the  <a/ part  oft  . 

and  ever-producing  being,  wa*  _Teat  a  period  as  from  un- 

besrinning  eternity  or  duration,  in  or  inactivi- 

ty )  Or.  cou  _ 

hed 

magine  it  is  answered-  when  we  re- 
collect that  the  S  .    God.  and  is 
B  intellect  or  spirit,  pervading  boundle-  :ea- 
e  ;  and  therefore,  as  :.                and  the  author  of  all 

1  not,  therefore,  pre- 
have  been  inactive,  or  in  a  torpor. 
A  rporeal,  are  hjca. 

ver  swiftly  I  have  it  in  their  power  to  pass  from  one 

U  local.  are 

..t  in  a  definite  place,  are  I  the 

_      frcry  where  present- 
is  r.  I :  unless  it  be  said  that  doue  J 
and  spa               s  location.     But  on  1  ject  of  the  a : 

r  before  his  first  act  of  creation,  we  are  capable  of  form- 

except  _-  tkU 

of  thin  _•  ultiUide 

of  oper  ard  in  the  earth,  the  waters,  and  the 

ac- 
:hout  bringing'  intc  _  tual  obj 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

need  not  be  doubted,  so  long  as  even  ourselves  are  made  capable 
of  thought,  without  being  necessitated  to  prcduce  the  image  of 
every  thought.  Why  not  Gcd,  therefore,  who  is  the  anther  of 
this  capability  ?  Could  he  not  rejoice,  if  we  may  so  express  the 
idea,  over  all  the  works  and  beings  which  as  yet  he  had  not 
made,  as  he  can  now  that  he  has  made  them?  Were  they  not 
always  present  with  him,  though  to  themselves,  as  yet,  they  had 
no  being  ?  Could  he  not  as  easily  rejoice  over  that  which  he- 
had  not  as  yet  produced,  as  he  can  now  be  supposed  to  do,  over 
worlds  and  myriads  of  beings  not  yet  brought  forth  ?  Most  cer- 
tainly, or  we  retrench  the  attribute,  omniscience.  The  mind  of 
the  Deity  dwells  with  all  that  is  past,  and  with  all  that  is  to 
come,  the  same  as  he  does  now  with  the  present  moment :  of 
whose  mind  we  dare  not  say,  it  ever  had  a  first  thovght — but 
rather  that  He  is  unbeginnins*,  unimproving,  unending  and  per- 
fect intellect ;  of  which  ideas  we  can  have  but  small  conceptions, 
further  than  to  spell  the  words  here  on  paper. 

The  idea  of  solitude,  as  it  relates  to  God,  though  he  had  not 
made  us,  or  any  thing  besides,  by  millions  of  ages  as  soon  as  he 
did,  or  even  never,  is  absurd  ;  for  we  may  not  suppose  his  works 
essential  to  his  happiness,  especially  as  it  relates  to  companion- 
ship, or  as  furnishing  occasion  for  a  display  of  activity;  as  even 
now,  though  space  seems  filled  with  an  infinity  of  worlds,  and  sys- 
tems of  worlds,  the  works  of  his  power,  yet  God.  the  sacred 
three  in  one,  is  as  much  alone  as  if  the  worlds  had  no  being ; 
for  which  of  all  his  works,  even  among  the  hosts  of  his  angels, 
is  his  fellow,  or  who  is  his  companion  ?  Within  himself  are  his 
own  infinite  resources,  and  mode  of  being,  the  secret  of  which 
can  never  be  communicated,  as  there  can  exist  no  being  whose 
mind  can  dilate  to  receive  the  immense  and  shoreless  communi- 
cation. 

But  as  to  the  second  query,  whether  he  could  have  begun  his 
works  of  mind  and  matter  sooner  than  he  did.  We  answer,  no. 
Because,  had  he,  as  we  reckon  time  and  progress,  put  forth  his 
first  tangible  unnumbered  ages  sooner  than  he  did,  relatively 
speaking,  it  could  have  been  no  sooner  in  fact ;  or  had  he  not  till 
now  begun  to  create,  it  could  be  no  later. 

The  terms  late  and  early,  have  no  application  to  eternity  ;  as 
there  is  no  starting  point,  so  there  is  no  ending.  If  he  had  not 
till  millions  of  ages  yet  to  come,  have  commenced  creation,  there 
could  be  no  time  lost,  as  there  could  be  none  gained  in  so  deep 
a  sea.  Where  there  is  no  expenditure  there  can  be  no  increase, 
for  eternity  is  the  habitation  of  the  High  and  Holy  One — the 
Eternal  Being. 

It  is  an  amazing  thought,  when  we  reflect,  that  myriads  in 
numbers,  beyond  the  power  even  of  angelic  computation,  of  such 
systems  of  universal  nature  may  have  been  created,  and  have 
passed  away,  as  now  exists,  and  that  they  may  have  been  as  di- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  71 

versified  as  would  equal  their  numbers  lie  fore  this  present  sys- 
tem of  things  existed  ;  yet  the  sentiment  remains,  that  there  must 
have  been  a  first  creative  act,  or  that  which  has  been  produced 
is  as  eternal  as  the  producer,  which  is  absurd.  And  as  many 
more  such  universes  may  yet  be  brought  into  being,  after  this 
shall  have  answered  all  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  produced, 
and  sh;Jl  have  passed  away.  By  universes  we  do  not  mean  spi- 
rits and  souls  of  men,  whether  commencing  on  this  world  or  on 
others  ;  but  simply  the  matter  of  which  they  are  composed — the 
suns  and  their  respective  systems.  We  believe,  however,  that 
when  a  system  is  dismissed  from  being,  by  the  Creator,  it  is  only 
to  give  place  to  another,  better  suited  to  the  advanced  condition 
of  such  intellectual  beings  as  shall  have  passed  through  a  former 
state,  which  we  will  call  their  first  or  incipient  condition,  such 
as  the  race  of  man  is  now  passing  through,  in  this  life.  So  that 
a  perpetual  advance  in  happiness,  in  approximating  toward  the 
author  of  all  existences,  of  such  as  shall  have  gone  through  a 
probationary  state  safely  and  virtuously,  is  to  be  expected  as  a 
fruit  of  immortality. 

Although  we  have  said  above,  that  creation,  with  all  its  tribes, 
visible  and  invisible,  are  not  essential  to  the  happiness  of  God; 
yet  the  Scriptures  inform  us,  that  for  His  '-'pleasure,  they  are 
and  were  created."  Rev.  iv.  11.  But  we  may  enquire,  what 
kind  of  pleasure  it  is,  whether  essential,  or  otherwise,  of 
which  it  speaks,  and  conclude  it  to  be  the  pleasure  of  making 
others  happy — the  joys  of  philanthropy,  and  of  being  known  and 
beloved ;  as  it  is  said  again  in  Scripture — "  when  He  (Christ) 
shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  all  his  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in 
all  them  that  believe."  If  so,  then  is  he  not  therefore,  to  be  more 
happy,  when  this  shall  take  place,  than  if  he  (Christ)  had  not 
made  man,*  and  therefore,  does  he  not  derive  a  degree  of  happi- 
ness from  this  circumstance,  and  from  the  circumstance  of  crea- 
tion in  general.  We  answer  no; — neither  of  essential  nor  of 
derived  happiness,  because  the  certainty  of  creation,  which  he 
had  from  everlasting  purposed  to  perform,  and  also  the  certain- 
ty that  some  of  the  angels  would  of  their  own  free  will  continue 
to  love  him,  as  also  some  of  the  human  race,  of  their  own  assis- 
ted yet  unforced  will,  and  free  agency,  would  admire  him  in 
their  creation,  redemption,  and  salvation,  afforded  the  same 
amount  of  happiness  millions  of  ages  before — yes,  from  all  eter- 
nity ;  as  all  that  he  has  done,  or  will  do,  was,  and  is  ever  present 
with  him,  as  much  so  as  the  present  moment  of  time.  No  degree 
of  happiness,  is  derived  to  the  Divine  Being,  from  anything 
which  he  lias  made  ;  and  though  it  is  said,  as  in  Prov.  viii.  31, 
that  his  "delights  were  with  the  children  of  men,*7  or  as  in  an 
other  place,  Heb.  xii.  2,  that  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him 

.^Hebrews  i.  3,  states  thai  Christ  is  the  creator,    "and  upholds  aN  thinjjs  by  the 
word  of  his  power." 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

(Christ)  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  is  set  down 
at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God,"'  yet  all  this  delight  and 
all  this  joy,  arose  out  of  himself,  the  same  as  fruit  arises  out  of 
the  tree,  and  is  indebted  to  nothing  of  a  foreign  nature  for  its  ex- 
istence. The  mere  ability  to  produce  when  and  where  he  will 
the  evidences  of  his  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness,  is  an  ingre- 
dient of  his  essential  happiness,  paramount  to  their  production  ; 
so  that  whatever  delight  arises  to  him  out  of  his  works,  they  are 
the  produce  of  his  own  nature,  and  intended  wholly  for  the  joy 
of  others ;  and  however  he  may  extend  or  retrench  his  works, 
even  to  the  annihilation  of  all  he  has  made,  or  can  make  ;  yet 
the  main  principle  is  still  in  his  possession,  and  is  therefore  equal- 
ly happy,  whether  there  be  existences  or  not ;  and  in  this  way  he 
is  the  same,  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever. 

But  as  we  have  said  a  few  pages  above,  that  we  should  find  it 
necessary  to  put  on  the  swift  wings  of  imagination,  and  travel 
back  through  countless  ages,  up  to  a  time,  in  the  annals  of  eterni- 
ty, when  the  Most  High  put  forth  his  first  creative  act ;  we  will 
therefore  now  suppose  ourselves  arrived  at  that  awful  point  in 
the  boundless  ocean  of  eternity.  But  now  that  we  arc  there, 
what  is  our  business,  and  what  has  this  to  do  with  the  origin  of 
sin,  or  cause  of  the  being  of  Satan? — which,  as  follows,  we  shall 
attempt  to  show. 

We  have  already  supposed  it  a  determination  of  the  Deity  from 
everlasting,  to  bring  into  being  existences  to  consist  of  mind  and 
of  matter,  as  we  can  conceive  of  no  other,  and  indeed,  we  believe 
that  no  other  can  exist ;  but  the  modification  of  mind  and  matter, 
as  demonstrated  on  the  face  of  the  universe,  shows  the  Author 
able  consistently  to  vary  them,  still  more  and  more,  as  long  as 
being  shall  endure :  which  shall  be  evermore. 

But  whether  the  first  creative  act,  produced  mind,  or  matter, 
can  scarcely  amount  to  a  question :  yet  as  it  respects  the  matter 
which  composes  the  Solar  system,  of  which  our  earth  is  a  part. 
we  at  once  allow  it  to  have  preceded  the  creation  of  such  mind 
as  have  their  habitations  here  ;  the  ancestors  of  which,  was  the 
two  first  of  our  race,  as  we  learn  from  the  history  of  Moses,  that 
great  legislator  of  the  Jews.  But  we  believe  that  such  was  not 
the  case,  when  the  first  and  more  ancient  creation  of  spirits  took 
place  ;  as  it  is  more  consistent  with  reason  to  suppose  that  a  first 
demonstration  of  creative  power,  would  be  to  produce  something 
more  resembling  the  Author,  than  mere  matter  could  do,  which 
is  no  resemblance  at  all.  Spirits,  therefore,  we  cannot  doubt, 
were  the  kind  of  beings  which  were  first  brought  forth,  having 
intellectual  attributes, — and  in  this  respect  bearing  an  honorable, 
and  glorious  affinity  and  likeness  to  their  origin:  to  which  mat- 
ter can  never  aspire.  That  spiritual  beings  existed  previous  to 
the  creation  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
is  evident  from  Job,  (which  book  is  supposed  to  have  been  writ- 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  73 

ten  by  Moses,  others  by  Job  himself,  and  is  a  true  history  of  that 
afflicted  man,)  chap,  xxxviii.  47:  where  it  is  said  that  God  en- 
quired of  Job,  where  he  was  when  the  foundations  of  the  earth 
were  laid  :  when  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  together.  The 
morning  stars  and  sons  of  God  arc  the  same  beings,  or  they  could 
not  have  both  sang  and  shouted  together,  as  is  said  they  did  in 
that  chapter,  when  they  beheld  the  works  of  creation,  as  consum- 
mated in  the  formation  of  the  Solar  system,  as  perfected  in  six 
times  twenty-four  hours,  or  six  days.  This  however,  is  by  some 
boldly  disputed,  who  have,  as  they  pretend,  but  falsely,  found  out 
that  the  Hebrew  Bible  says  it  was  six  divine  ages,  amounting  to 
an  untold  number  of  years:  during  which  great  periods,  the 
whole  earth  swarmed — both  land  and  sea — before  man  was  crea- 
ted— with  hideous  monsters,  all  of  which  are  now  extincf, — as 
found  embedded  in  clay  and  stone.  By  this  discovery  it  is  easy 
to  perceive,  that  the  Sabbath  has  no  foundation  ;  a  thing  which 
infidels  have  always  despised,  and  fain  would  destroy,  but  can- 
not. It  is  true  however,  that  extinct  races  of  animals,  and  mon- 
sters too,  are  found  thus  embedded  in  limestone  quarries,  in 
Europe  and  other  countries  :  yec  this  does  not  prove  the  position 
that  the  earth  was  six  divine,  or  great  ages,  in  coming  forward  to 
its  present  perfection  ;  as  that  time  enough,  since  its  creation — as 
accounted  for  in  the  Bible— has  transpired  to  produce  these 
appearances,  which  have  been  deposited  by  the  waters  of  the 
great  flood  in  the  earth,  and  since  teen  encrust*  d  by  stone. 

Both  ancients  and  moderns  agree  that  the  expression — "mortf- 
ing  stars  and  sons  of  God"  point  out  spiritual  beings,  who 
existed  prior  to  the  creation  of  this  system,  and  are  spoken  of  in 
Scripture,  under  the  names  of  angels — hosts  of  angels — troops 
of  angels,  and  that  they  celebrated  with  expressions  of  joy,  the 
magnificent  appearance  of  the  immense  fabric  of  the  Solar  sys- 
tem, as  an  additional  evidence  of  the  power,  the  glory,  and  the 
dominion  of  the  great  Creator.  Thus  we  think  we  have  estab- 
lished from  the  above  cited  Scripture,  that  spiritual  beings  exis- 
ted before  the  time  of  the  creation  of  Adam  and  Eve,  and  that 
these  sons  of  God,  who  thus  celebrated  the  works  of  the  Creator, 
were  not  made  at  the  self-same  time  with  Adam,  as  some  have 
thought:  as  such  an  idea  docs  not  give  time  for  the  probationary 
state  of  the  angels,  so  that  such  as  stood  and  such  as  fell,  might 
thus  appear  in  their  various  characters;  for  from  the  time  of  Ad- 
am's creation  till  his  fall,  does  not  appear  to  have  been  more 
than  about  ten  days,  and  possibly  less,  which  to  ascertain,  we 
will  suppose  as  follows: — Adam  it  appears  was  created  on  the 
sixth  day,  which  was  Saturday,  the  next  being  the  Sabbath,  he 
no  doubt  worshipped  and  sanctified,  as  it  is  said  that  God  ceased 
his  labor  and  rested  that  day.  On  Monday  no  doubt,  the  ani- 
mals were  made  to  pass  before;  him,  to  receive  their  names—  but 
among  them  he  found  none  as  a  companion  for  himself.     How 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

long  it  took  him  thus  to  name  all  the  animals — which  it  is  likely 
were  produced  in  pairs  only,  and  no  more — we  cannot  tell,  but 
a  day  we  should  suppose  was  enough,  as  the  number  could  not 
have  been  very  great.     On  Tuesday  therefore,  it  is  probable  that 
Adam  having  found  himself  alone,  as  to  a   companion,   was 
caused  to  sleep,  while  God  took  from  his  side  the  famous  rib — 
the  origin  of  the  female  of  the  human  race.     On  Wednesday,  it 
is  likely  they  were  brought  together,  and  spent  the  day  in  for- 
warding an  acquaintance  with  each  other — which  was  so  neces- 
ary  for  their  future  comfort  and  happiness — and  in  selecting  a 
place  of  sleep  at  night.     On  Thursday,  for  aught  we  know,  the 
Laiv  was  given,  respecting  the  tree  of  knowledge,  and  the  sub- 
ject of  death  alluded  to.     On  Friday  they  were  shown  the  field 
and  trees  of  Paradise,  and  instructed  how  to  cultivate  and  dress 
them.     On  Saturday  they  may  have  commenced  their  happy 
labor :  but  not  in  toil  and  sweat  as  now,  but  as  a  gentle  recrea- 
tion, furnishing  cause  of  conversation,  examination,  and  compar- 
ison, which  was  the  origin  of  all  the  social  happiness  of  the 
globe.     On  the  Sabbath  they  rested,  and  now  Adam  with  his 
bride  of  Paradise,  celebrated  the  second  Sabbath  of  creation  in 
recounting  the  history  of  their  first  thoughts,  and  in  conversa- 
tion with  angelic  spirits,  about  God  and  the   wonders  of  his 
power,  and  in  acts  of  devotion  and  holy  aspirations.     On  Mon- 
day they  again  resumed  their  attentions  to  the  fields  of  Paradise, 
and  in  ascertaining  the  kinds  of  fruit  the  most  delicious  to  their 
taste,  and  in  alternate  labor  and  converse.     Their  language  was 
given  by  inspiration,  from  above,  and  was  the  most  eloquent,  the 
most  comprehensive,  and  the  most  musical  that  has  ever  saluted 
human  ears,  being  as  near  the  language  of  heaven  and  the  happy 
hosts  of  that  world,  as  could  have  been  spoken  by  the  breath  of 
earth's  then  immortals.     On  Tuesday  they  became   excursive 
in  their  imaginations,  and  desirous  of  knowing  more  of  the  extent 
and  products  of  their  domain,  and  to  wonder  at  its  immensity, 
and  profuseness  of  beauty,  and  to  look  over  its  battlements  down 
to  the  country  beneath  them.     This  not  unfrequcntly  on  the 
account  of  the  various  shapes  of  the  face  of  the  ground,  and  in 
one's  having  a  desire  to  examine  this  side  of  a  beautiful  grove 
of  fruit  bearing  trees,  while  the  other  incidentally  passed  on  the 
other  way,  strayed  apart,  but  coming  together  again,  with  joy 
and  smiles,  so  soon  as  they  found  an  opening  where  they  could. 
But  while  thus  passing  on,  in  any  direction,  as  the  glories  of  the 
place  invited,  a  beautiful  stream,  having  a  cascade,  which  dashed 
its  clear  waves  over  a  ledge  of  diamonds,  attracted  the  eyes  and 
ears  of  Adam,  where  he  gazed  long  and  profound  at  the  silver 
rush  of  the  liquid  flood — a  scene  entirely  new.     During  this  time 
Eve  had  seen  at  a  distance,  on  a  mount,  the  most  gorgeous  land- 
scape of  roses,  trees,  and  vines,  with  an  immensity  of  the  herbage 
of  Eden,  while  thousands  of  the  birds  of  Paradise  feathered  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  75 

air  with  gold,  and  sung  the  songs  of  ether,  in  gay  eddies  on  the 
wind.  Thither  she  was  attracted  to  enjoy  with  nearer  eyes  the 
splendor  of  the  place,  and  departed,  unknown  to  Adam,  who 
stood  still  gazing  on  the  ceaseless  plunge  of  the  head-waters  of 
the  Euphrates,  as  that  was  the  stream,  delighted  with  its  roaring 
music,  and  heeded  not  that  Eve  was  gone.  But  as  he  viewed 
the  passing  waters,  there  sprung  a  fish  from  its  bosom,  and  glit- 
tered in  the  sunny  rays  a  moment,  and  then  was  hid  again 
beneath  its  waves,  and  then  another.  This  was  a  new  discovery, 
a  creature  which  had  not  passed  before  him  on  the  day  in  which 
lie  had  named  the  animals  and  fowls,  had  now  leaped  suddenly 
up  from  an  unknown  element,  asking  for  a  name  ;  when  turning 
to  Eve  to  know  whether  she  had  seen  this  creature,  found  she 
was  not  there,  nor  any  where  in  sight.  He  now  followed  down 
the  stream,  nothing  doubting  but  soon  to  find  her ;  yet  he  found 
her  not,  till  passing  by  a  grove  of  oranges,  he  saw  far  to  the  left, 
his  Eve,  descending  from  a  gentle  slope,  having  in  her  hands  the 
very  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree,  of  which  she  so  soon  prevailed 
on  him  to  taste  ;  which  was  ten  days,  including  the  Saturday  of 
his  creation,  till  he  fell — if  we  have  conjectured  rightly. 

But  we  have  wandered  from  our  subject,  which  was  of  the 
proof  of  spiritual  beings  and  of  angels  having  first  been  created, 
but  we  will  now  return,  and  say,  that  as  strange  as  it  may  appear, 
many  Universalists  disallow  of  the  being  of  spiritual  angels  ; 
although  the  Bible  is  full  of  accounts  of  such  beings,  which  they 
say  were  nothing  but  men,  or  messengers  of  men,  and  not 
spirits,  as  commonly  supposed.  But  to  go  with  them  as  far  as 
we  can,  we  do  not  dispute  but  the  term  angel,  does  in  some  places 
in  the  Scriptures,  signify  ministers  of  religion,  mere  mortals,  and 
extraordinary  messengers  of  this  cast,  not  unfrequcntly ;  yet  we 
must  contend,  that  the  word  as  found  in  a  mltitude  of  other 
places  in  the  Bible,  signifies,  beyond  all  contradiction,  super- 
natural beings,  and  spirits  of  the  eternal  world,  who  have  at 
various,  and  on  a  multitude  of  occasiens,  appeared  to  the  human 
race,  as  sent  by  him  who  governs  all.  If  not,  then  what  are  we 
to  do  with  the  account  in  the  book  of  Luke,  chap.  ii.  9, 13,  where 
it  is  said  that  while  certain  shepherds  of  the  Jews  were  attending 
on  their  flocks  by  night,  there  appeared  to  them  the  angel  of  the 
Lord,  whose  presence  was  accompanied  by  a  shining  splendor,  far 
above  their  heads  ;  a  circumstance  not  belonging  to  the  race  of 
man.  But  this  angel  of  the  Lord  had  scarcely  announced  his 
messacr^,  when  there  burst  forth  from  the  skies  a  host  of  angels, 
a  multitude  of  heavenly  beings,  who  poured  forth  strains  of 
music,  such  as  no  mortal  ears  had  ever  heard  on  earth  ;  corrob- 
orating that  which  the  first  angel  had  stated,  which  was  that  a 
Saviour,  who  was  Christ  the  Lord,  was  that  night  lorn  in  the 
city  of  David,  who,  when  they  had  thus  declared  their  message, 
vanished  out  of  sight,  and  went  away  into  heaven  :  look  at  the 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

text.  Could  all  this  have  been  said  of  mere  men  ?  never,  as  the 
whole  transaction  took  place  in  the  skies,  over  their  heads,  a 
situation  in  which  men  are  not  often  found,  on  account  of  the 
principle  of  gravitation,  unless  we  suppose  some  of  the  rogueish 
fellows  of  the  city,  had  made  themselves  a  balloon,  and  having 
ascended  to  that  height,  set  it  on  fire  while  they  cried  out  in  the 
midst  of  its  blazing  glories,  as  it  is  said  the  angels  did,  announcing 
the  birth  of  the  Son  of  God,  &c.  But  we  believe  the  balloon  is 
a  modern  invention,  and  was  unknown  in  those  early  times. 
If  then  spirits  were  the  first  beings  which  were  created,  when 
as  yet  there  existed  no  system  of  nature — nature  was  not  yet 
produced — was  not  born  into  being — had  not  spread  out  her 
fields  of  suns,  of  globes,  of  oceans,  of  rivers,  of  fountains  of  water, 
of  forests,  of  herbage,  of  animals  and  of  men : — what  therefore 
could  have  furnished  those  newly  created  spirits  with  subjects 
of  observation,  and  mental  employment ;  as  intellect  without 
employment,  can  be  considered  nothing  less  than  a  defect  in  the 
economy  of  things  in  the  very  outset  of  existences.  In  relation 
to  this,  would  it  be  amiss,  were  we  to  imagine,  that  notwithstand- 
ing the  high  intellectual  state  in  which  the  angels  were  undoubt- 
edly created ;  that  first  of  all,  the  mystery  of  their  own  being, 
could  have  been  an  inexhaustable  source  of  conjectural  employ- 
ment, till  such  time  as  some  revelation  should  be  made  on  the 
subject  by  the  Creator. 

If  no  revelation — no  communication,  between  our  first  parents 
and  their  Creator,  had  taken  place  :  how  long,  we  may  enquire, 
would  it  have  been,  before  they  would  have  found  out  whether 
they  were  created  or  not,  or  by  what  means  they  came  into  being, 
or  whether  they  were  not  eternal  and  without  a  cause  or  com- 
mencement of  being  ?  could  they  ever  have  solved  the  mystery? 
we  think  not.  So  with  the  first  spirits ;  they  found  themselves 
existing  in  multitudes,  active  in  their  powers  of  mind  ;  glorious 
in  appearance,  and  exceedingly  happy,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  a  blissful  heaven  ;  so  created,  as  was  adapted  to  their  spiritual 
state  of  being ;  but  not  consisting  of  gross  matter,  as  belongs  to 
our  condition,  but  of  a  pure  and  rarefied  description,  so  as  to  be 
above  ponderosity  and  the  tangibility  of  such  senses  as  we  pos- 
sess. If  it  is  said  of  man,  that  he  was  created  in  the  likeness 
and  image  of  his  Creator,  should  it  be  thought  strange  that  his 
place  of  dwelling,  his  beautiful  Paradise,  should  in  some  sense, 
correspond  to  his  mental  condition  ;  and  likewise  be  a  feint  type 
or  shadow  of  the  great  and  sublime  heaven  of  the  angels,  and 
final  home  of  all  the  good. 

This  is  no  new  thought,  for  it  has  been  conjectured  in  ages 
past,  by  the  immortal  Milton,  that  our  earth,  as  well  as  all  worlds, 
resemble,  in  variety  of  hills  and  vales,  of  mountains  and  plains, 
of  sun  and  shade,  of  streams  and  fountains,  of  forests  and  savan- 
nas, of  fruits  and  flowers  of  ocean  and  dry  land  ;  that  great 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  77 

resting  place  of  happy  beings.  Matter,  as  even  known  to  mor- 
tals, is  found  capable,  under  the  all  modulating  hand  of  God,  of 
being  exceedingly  rarefied,  as  in  the  instance  of  light,  the  odor 
of  flowers,  &c.,  which  are  the  produce  of  matter,  and  conse- 
quently can  be  termed  nothing  more  or  less  than  mailer,  but  not 
subject,  as  the  crude  originals  are  to  ponderosity  or  gravitation. 
Heaven  therefore,  so  far  as  relates  to  identity  and  location,  may, 
if  we  may  so  express  ourselves,  be  in  some  such  sense  the  beau- 
tiful and  all  perfect  prototype  of  all  systems  of  matter,  which  the 
Great  Eternal  has  or  may  cause  to  come  into  being.  Upon  this 
hypothesis,  may  we  not  allow  fancy  a  little  latitude,  and  suppose 
heaven  as  a  location,  adorned  with  forests,  with  herbage,  with  all 
trees  of  fruit,  with  all  flowers,  with  all  landscapes,  varied  in  beauty, 
such  as  even  angelic  taste  could  never  devise ;  traversed  by  streams 
of  waters  as  liquid  silver,  rushing  over  pebbles  of  gold  and  dia- 
monds, with  lulls  and  vales,  adorned  with  fountains,  such  as  no 
Greek,  or  lavish  Chaldean,  ere  caused  to  shower  the  dry  and  spark- 
ling air,  from  marble  fonts,  to  make  glorious  a  place  of  rest. 
Mountains  of  God,  cataracts  of  the  skies  of  heaven,  pouring  from 
the  pearly  summits  of  beauteous  hills,  and  projecting  ledges  of  sil- 
ver, their  cooling  volumes  of  flood,  to  adorn  this  palace  of  the  uni- 
verse, in  which  all  that  is  beautiful  in  all  other  worlds,  is  here 
found  in  the  aggregate  amplified  and  exceeded.  Appearing, 
however,  in  some  such  fashion,  as  would  a  universal  christaliza- 
tion,  being  a  world  of  light,  yet  retaining  all  that  immensity  of 
light  and  shade,  a  trait  of  variety  which  now  distinguishes,  beauti- 
fies and  adorns  such  parts  of  creation,  in  other  worlds,  where  sin 
has  not  yet  blasted  their  primeval  glories,  as  in  this.  Such,  may 
not  heaven  be,  but  ten  thousand  times  more  in  extent  than  a  thou- 
sand systems  like  ours,  suited  to  the  purity  and  pursuits  of  a 
spiritual  state  of  being,  so  far  as  location  and  a  sublimated  state 
of  tangibility  can  do  even  under  the  husbandry  of  the  Creator, 
and  will  perhaps  be  an  item  in  those  pleasures,  which  in  the 
Scripture  are  aid  to  be  at  God's  right  hand  forever  more.  To 
give  the  reader  some  idea  of  our  meaning  about  a  sublimated 
state  of  tangibility ;  we  have  only  to  suppose  that  all  the  sub- 
stances of  the  earth,  with  the  earth  itself,  in  a  state  of  perfect 
crystalization  ;  while  each  condition  of  matter,  whether  earth, 
stones,  ores,  minerals,  waters,  oceans,  forests,  animals,  fowls,  men, 
cities,  towns,  houses,  with  every  article  of  the  globe,  should  re- 
tain, nevertheless,  their  respective  differences,  so  they  could  as 
easily  be  distinguished,  one  from  another,  as  they  now  are.  In 
such  a  case,  there  could  be  no  obscurity,  all  would  be  bright  and 
wonderful ;  as  when  the  sun  shining  on  such  a  world,  the  min- 
gled hues  of  different  substances  would  blend  and  mingle  their 
ten  thousand  dies,  so  as  no  rainbow  was  ever  adorned,  glittering 
through  the  entire  mass  of  the  earth,  and  over  its  entire  surface. 
The  same  in  the  night  would  be  the  case — with  this  difference 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

however — which  would  be  the  difference  there  is  between  the 
shining  of  the  sun  in  his  strength,  and  that  of  the  moon  and  the 
stars — producing  a  less  gogeous  splendor,  chastened  and  softened 
by  the  night,  but  not  obscured.  Such  a  state  of  things,  as  it  res- 
pects heaven,  is  even  alluded  to  by  the  Revelator, — see  chap.  xxi. 
11, — where  the  city  of  the  new  Jerusalem  is  compared  to  a  most 
precious  stone,  even  like  Jasper,  clear  as  crystal  And  in  the 
course  of  the  chapter,  it  is  again  said:  verse  18,  that  the  walls  are 
of  Jasper,  and  the  city,  pure  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass :  and  that 
its  foundations  were  laid  of  twelve  different  kinds  of  pelucid 
stones — blending  their  hues  together.  Also  Rev.  iv.  2,  3  :  Gcd 
himself  is  said  to  appear  in  splendor,  like  a  sardine  stone — which 
is  a  blood  red — and  that  round  about  the  throne  on  which  he 
sat,  in  sight  or  at  a  great  distance,  there  was  a  halo,  in  form  like 
a  rainbow,  whose  color  was  that  of  the  sapphire — which  is  a 
most  brilliant  blue.  The  very  throne  of  God  is  said  by  Ezekial, 
i.  28 — to  be  in  color  as  the  sapphire — while  deep  within,  there 
was  the  color  of  amber — like  fire — which  shot  off  its  splendors  in 
the  distance,  causing  the  halo  above  noticed  by  the  Revelator. 
Also  in  Exodus,  xxiv.  10 — the  same  idea  is  advanced,  where  the 
body  of  heaven  in  its  clearness,  is  spoken  of,  with  paved  work 
of  sapphire  stones  : — a  sparkling  blue. 

In  such  a  world  as  this,  whose  soil  is  golden  earth,  forming 
the  base  of  heaven's  diamond  quarries,  jutting  out  on  the  ranges 
of  eternal  mountains,  which  give  rise  to  perpetual  rivers,  the 
waters  of  life — the  drink  of  angels  and  the  spirits  of  the  just 
made  perfect ;  were  the  Jirst  habitations  of  the  first  intelligen- 
ces of  omnific  power.  Along  these  streams  of  heaven,  cluster 
in  endless  profusion,  all  groves  of  delight,  laden  with  fruit,  varied 
in  shape,  in  flavor,  and  in  perfumes,  beyond  all  the  visions  of  the 
sons  of  the  mount  of  Apollo,  and  the  Elysian  fields.  From  cleft 
to  cleft,  on  the  sides  of  the  mountain  ridges,  descend  in  broad 
showers,  vines  laden  with  clusters  of  such  grapes  as  grew  not  in 
old  Canaan,  nor  in  the  fields  of  Adam's  principality,  before  his 
fall ;  from  which  flows  the  wine  of  the  kingdom  of  which  the  Son 
of  man  and  his  disciples  shall  drink  in  heaven.  See  Math.  xxvi. 
29,  "  But  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  drink  henceforth  of  this  fruit  of 
the  vine  till  that  day  when  I  drink  it  new  with  you  in  my  Father's 
kingdom."  Among  these  groves  which  never  fade,  whose  leaves 
never  lose  their  verdure,  nor  cast  untimely  fruit,  but  wait  the 
pressure  of  seraphs1  fingers  ;  there  sing  all  birds  of  celestial  song, 
with  sounds  of  sweetest  melody,  so.  that  ever  is  sounding  in  the 
ear  of  heaven  some  note  of  other  worlds,  yet  so  as  not  to  tire, 
ever  seeming  new  and  born  each  moment  fresh  into  life.  Every- 
where were  glorious  beings  in  sight,  some  viewing  from  the 
mountains  the  boundless  horizon  of  that  world,  while  beneath, 
there  was  heaven's  broad  savannas  spread  out  in  their  vastness ; 
others  walked  by  the  streams  beneath,  amid  the  foliage,  now  hid 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURE3.  79 

now  scon,  breathing  the  pure  air  of  that  sinless  clime,  while  they 
discoursed  things  unutterable  to  mortals.  As  yet  no  traveller 
had  arrived  from  other  worlds,  as  at  that  time  none  were  made. 
The  great  centre  of  all  succeeding  creations,  had  but  newly 
bloomed  in  the  midst  of  eternity,  and  this  was  heaven,  around 
which  it  was  intended  the  unending  works  of  God  should 
spread  out  their  circles  of  suns,  of  planets,  and  of  satelites. 
Where  is  the  impropriety  of  supposing  heaven,  the  first  residence 
of  the  first  spiritual  beings,  as  the  mighty  centre  of  the  universe, 
the  grand  nucleus  of  all  worlds,  to  which  all  are  attracted  ;  yet 
repelled  so  as  to  produce  celestial  revolutions  of  the  great  yet  in 
creasing  universe?  none  that  we  can  see,  as  it  presents  no  objec- 
tion to  a  state  of  spiritual  happiness ;  but  is  suited  to  such  a 
state  ;  as  location,  and  association,  are  essential  to  the  happiness 
of  all  finite  exstences. 

That  heaven  is  a  location  is  easily  proven  from  the  Scrip- 
ture, from  a  multitude  of  places  and  circumstances,  a  few  of 
which  arc  as  follows: — Deut.  x.  14,  "Behold  the  heaven  and 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  is  the  Lord  thy  God's  ;  the  earth  also. 
villi  all  that  therein  is?  What  is  meant  by  the  heaven  of 
heavens,  if  it  is  not  this  great  centre  of  all  being?  Now  unless 
the  heaven  of  heavens,  so  expressed  by  way  of  eminence,  has  a 
real  existence  and  a  location,  as  well  as  the  earth,  how  can  it  be 
said  to  belong  to  God,  if  there  is  no  such  place']  If  there  is  no 
local  heaven  of  heavens,  then  there  is  no  local  earth ;  for  the  one 
is  as  much  alluded  to  in  the  text,  and  identified,  as  the  other ; 
and  as  belonging,  both  of  them,  to  God:  if  one,  therefore,  is  not 
pointed  out  by  that  Scripture,  neither  is  the  other.  To  the  same 
doctrine,  bears  the  Psalmist  witness  :  chap.  xx.  0,  "  Now  know 
I  that  the  Lord  saveth  his  annointed :  He  will  hear  him  from 
his  holy  heaven?  Also  in  another  place  in  Deuteronomy,  xxvi. 
15,  the  ownership,  and  consequently  the  locality,  of  heaven  is 
brought  to  light :  uLook  down  (or  forth)  from  thy  holy  habita- 
i 'ion,  from  heaven,  and  bless  thy  people  Israel?  Also  Isaiah, 
Ixiii.  15,  "  Look  down (forth)  from  heaven  and  behold  from  the 
habitation  of  thy  holiness  and  of  glory?  Luke  xv.  7,  "  I  say 
unto  yon,  that  likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth?  St.  Luke  in  another  place  speaks  of  this  same 
heaven  :  chap.  ii.  15,  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  angels  were 
gone  air  ay  from  them  (the  shepherds)  into  heaven."  But  if 
there  is  no  heaven  besides  that  which  is  commonly  called  the 
firmament,  in  which  the  stars  are  situated,  and  the  atmosphere 
of  the  earth,  how  could  it  be  thus  written  ?  how  could  the  angels 
go  away  into  a  heaven  which  has  no  existence,  and  no  location? 

But  this  fact  can  be  shown  from  another  circumstance,  which 
is  the  resurrection  of  the  crucified  body  of  our  Lord.  No  per- 
son will  disallow,  that  the  Saviour's  body,  while  on  earth,  was 
as  local,  tangible  and  real  as  the  bodies  of  other  men,  and  as  sucii 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

was  put  to  death,  and  raised  from  the  dead,  appeared  to  the  dis- 
ciples immediately  after,  who  handled  him,  and  saw  him  cat  a 
piece  of  fish,  and  a  honeycomb.     If  then  it  be  allowed  that  his 
body  was  local  when  on  earth,  we  think  we  gain  the  point,  and 
establish  that  the  heaven  of  heavens,  the  home  of  happy  spirits, 
and  the  place  where  God  more  'particularly  reveals  himself,  is  a 
location :  because,  that  same  body  ascended  to  heaven,  and  is 
set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  (Col.  iii.  1.)     But  from  Acts 
i.  9,  10,  11,  we  fully  prove  this  belief,  as  follows  :  "  And  when 
he  had  spoken  these  words,  while  they  beheld,  he  (Christ  Jesus,) 
wa   taken  up,  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight.     And 
while  they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven  (the  common  skies) 
as  he  went  up,  behold  two  men  (angels)  stood  by  them  in  white 
apparel :  which  also  said,  ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing 
up  into  heaven,  (the  skies)  this  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up 
from  you  into  heaven,  (the  heaven  of  heavens)  shall  so  come  in 
like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven,"  or  thitherward. 
Now  it  is  held  that  this  real  body  of  the  Saviour,  as  it  was  af- 
ter the  crucifixion,  so  it  is  now  in  heaven :  it  of  necessity  fol- 
lows, that  as  that  body  was  local,  not  being  capable  of  being 
in  more  than  one  place  at  a  time,  and  was  not  a  spirit,  as  he 
himself  said,  at  a  certain  time,  to  his  disciples,   after  his  re- 
surrection ;  that  heaven  is  local  also,  or  he  could  not  have  as- 
cended thither  with  his  person.     If  heaven,  therefore,  is  a  loca- 
tion, it  follows  of  necessity  that  it  was  created,  and  situated  some- 
where in  the  ocean  of  boundless  space ;  if  not,  then  is  not  the 
person,  or  human  nature  of  our  Lord  in  the  heaven  of  heavens, 
as  the  Scriptures  state.     But  that  it  is,  Ave  further  prove  from 
Acts  iii.  20,  21.     " And  he  shall  send,  Jesus  Christ,  which  was 
preached  unto  you :  whom  the  heaven  must  receive  until 
the  time  of  restitution  of  all  things  which   God  hath  spoken 
by  the  mouth  all  his  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began,"  or 
from  the  time  of  Adam  and  Enoch,  for  Enoch  was  a  prophet. 
And  also  from  1  Thess.  i.  10.     "And  to  wait  for  his  son  from 
heaven,  whom  lie  raised  from  the  dead,  even  Jesus" 

Universalists  say,  that  there  is  to  be  no  definite  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  yet  they"  believe  in  Christ's  resurrection  and  ascension 
up  to  heaven ;  why  not  also  further  believe  that  he  shall  come 
again  in  like  manner,  as  the  two  angels  said  he  will.  See  Acts 
i.  11  And  if  he  shall  come  again,  in  like  manner,  it  must  take 
place  at  a  definite  time,  and  that  definite  time  will  be  the  day  of 
judgment ;  will  it  not?  Oh,  but,  says  the  Universalist,  I  believe 
he  did  come,  and  in  so  coming,  the  promise  of  the  two  angels 
was  fulfilled,  and  the  day  of  judgment  is  past.  But  when  we 
enquire,  did  he  come,  and  what  was  that  day  of  judgment?  Why, 
says  one,  lie  came  at  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  about  forty  years  after  his  ascension. 
Ah,  we  did  not  know  this,  and  it  will  be  a  long  time  ere  such  a 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  81 

belief  will  find  its  way  into  our  mind ;  even  till  it  can  be  shown 
that  Jesus  Christ  came  down  from  heaven,  bodily  as  he  as- 
cended ;  for  such  was  the  promise,  as  follows  : — "  Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  this  same 
Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come 
in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven"  which 
we  have  never  understood,  was  done,  when  Jerusalem  was  des- 
troyed, as  no  body  saw  him  when  he  came  down,  and  therefore 
we  don't  believe  he  did.  Josephus  would  certainly  have  men- 
tioned it,  as  it  would  have  been  a  wonderful  sight,  equally  as 
great  as  his  ascension  was  ;  but  he  is  silent,  and  we  should  think 
Universal ists  might  as  well  be,  till  they  can  prove  it.  It  is  all 
folly  to  think  that  this  coming  again  of  the  Saviour,  was  to  be 
fulfilled  spiritually,  or  in  the  ruin  of  the  Jews,  as  the  promise 
of  the  two  men  in  white  raiment,  was  to  be  as  literally  fulfilled 
as  his  ascension — and  that  his  ascension  was  literal,  is  allowed 
on  all  hands. 

But  we  will  not  forget  our  main  point,  which  is  just  now,  to 
prove  that  heaven  is  a  real  location  :  which  we  still  further  make 
appear,  from  the  promises  of  Christ  to  his  disciples.  See  John 
xiv.  2,  3.  "  In  my  Father's  house,  (heaven)  are  many  mansions ; 
I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you ;  and  if  I  go  to  prepare  a  place 
for  you,  I  will  come  again  and  receive  you  unto  myself,  that 
where  I  am,  ye  may  be  also."  These  promises  cannot  be  fulfill- 
ed but  on  the  supposition  of  heaven's  locality  as  a  place,  is  spe- 
cified where  the  finite  and  local  bodies,  souls  and  spirits  of  all  the 
disciples  of  true  Christianity  are  finally  to  be  assembled,  so  that 
the  idea  of  the  location  of  heaven,  the  ancient  and  first  habita- 
tion of  the  first  intelligences,  is  in  our  opinion  fairly  made  out. 

There  is  a  convenience  of  feeling  in  the  idea  or  supposition  of 
the  location  of  heaven,  and  that  its  location  should  form  the  cen- 
tre of  all  God's  sublunary  works,  however  numerous,  while 
endless  ages  shall  prove  their  ceaseless  flow ;  inasmuch  as  the 
governing  principles  of  attraction  and  repulsion  should  be  found 
in  this  centre,  acting  out,  in  all  directions,  reaching  onward  and 
onward,  without  end  or  limitation,  except  by  the  boundaries  of 
matter,  producing  the  great  equipoise  of  motion  in  the  increasing 
universe  of  God.  It  is  also  a  convenience  of  feeling  and  proprie- 
ty, in  another  particular ;  and  this  is :  there  can  be  but  one 
Son  of  God,  but  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  as  it  is  impossible 
that  he  should  be  incarnated  but  once,  has  therefore  but  one  body, 
and  one  place  of  dwelling,  which  proves  there  can  be  but  one 
heaven,  and  one  presence,  where  his  disciples  are  to  be,  as  the 
promise  is  that  they  shall  be  with  him,  wherever  he  is.  In  aid 
of  this  idea  we  quote — Rev.  v.  6,  8,  respecting  the  Lamb,  which 
is  the  body  of  Christ,  who  now  occupies  even  the  midst  of  the 
throne  of  God.     And  as  there  can  be  but  one  throne  of  God, 

6 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

there  can  therefore,  be  tut  one  heaven — one  immense  point  of 
congregating  spirit?,  and  tl  at  point  in  the  midst  of  the  Uni- 
verse. But  we  remark  still  fuither  on  the  subject  of  that  great 
promise  made  to  his  disciples,  that — "where  I  am,  there  may 
ye  be  also"  and  ask,  who  can  limit  this  promise,  or  point  out 
its  utmost  amount.  Wherefore,  we  imagine,  that  though  he 
may  have  myriads  of  disciples  in  this  world,  yet  there  may 
be  myriads  of  disciples  in  all  the  other  worlds  which  now  ex- 
ist, or  mav  yet  be  created :  and  if  so,  then  they  must  come  to 
that  one  heaven,  for  the  promise  is — "where  I  am  there  shall 
my  disciples  be  also."  What  a  thought  is  this,  and  what  a  journey 
are  the  righteous  pursuing.  But  if  the  Word,  which  v/as  God, 
that  mysterious  second  person  of  the  Trinity,  has  not,  nor  ever 
can  be  incarnated  but  once ;  how  then  can.  or  how  could  other 
worlds  have  been  redeemed,  if  any  may  have  apostatized,  and 
fallen,  as  this  had  done  ;  or  may  hereafter  thus  apostatize,  in  the 
course  of  unending  ages?  To  this  we  reply  as  follows  : — it  is 
sometimes  enquired  (by  the  inquisitive  ;  which,  by  the  by,  we 
consider  a  virtue,  if  tinctured  with  a  little  good  manners,)  if  men 
cannot  be  saved  but  by  Jesus  Christ,  how  then  were  those  saved 
who  are  saved,  of  those  who  died  before  he  came  into  the  world, 
and  made  the  atonement  ?  To  this  it  is  answered ;  that  they 
were  saved  in  the  same  way  souls  are  saved  now  ;  only  with  this 
difference  ;  men  are  saved  now  by  a  Saviour  already  come,  and 
they  were  saved  by  a  Saviour  who  was  to  come,  our  faith  going 
back  and  theirs  reaching  forward.  Now,  may  not  this  principle, 
or  this  economy,  be  extended,  ad  infinitum,  as  to  duration,  both 
from  the  time  of  his  advent,  forward  forever  more  ;  and  back- 
ward to  the  commencement  of  intellectual  being,  embracing  all 
cases  of  apostacy,  within  the  reach  of  equitable  mercy  ?  we  think 
it  may  be,  and  is  thus  applied.  But  if  faith  in  Christ  is  a  neces- 
sary condition  to  salvation,  how  are  other  worlds  to  be  benefited 
by  his  having  been  made  a  sacrifice  for  sin  in  this  world,  and  in 
this  only.  The  principle  and  the  economy  is  possible,  ai  d  i>  as 
consistent  as  was  its  application  to  the  fallen  case  of  this  world's 
inhabitants.  God  can  never  be  straightened,  to  effect  any  thing 
which  is  not  inconsistent,  and  can  therefore,  as  easily  send  his 
angels,  to  any  and  to  all  worlds,  which  may  have,  or  yet  may 
fall,  as  to  have  sent  them  to  this,  to  the  Shepherds  of  Judea,  to 
announce  the  fact  of  the  arrival  of  the  atoneing  victim.  In  our 
case,  we  perceive  that  a  band  of  angels  were  commissioned  to 
this  earth,  as  its  first  Gospel  ministers,  and  if  to  us,  why  not  to 
others,  and  to  all  such  worlds  as  have,  or  may  yet  fall  in  the  uni- 
verse of  God  ?  Wherefore,  we  believe,  that  if  any  other  worlds 
in  the  past  ages  of  eternity,  before  this  earth,  and  the  system  to 
which  it  belongs,  was  created  ;  and  the  incarnation  of  the  Creator 
took  place  ;  fell  or  apostatised  as  this  has  done  ;  that  the  angels  of 
God  may  have  been  employed  to  announce  to  such  fallen  beings; 
accompanied  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  evidence,  for  their  faith 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  83 

to  lay  hold  of,  that  in  the  fullness  of  periods,  the  Creator  would 
become  incarnated,  as  a  sacrificial  victim  for  sin,  in  a  certain 
world  or  globe,  not  yet  created  :  and  the  whole  system  of  salva- 
tion, as  revealed  from  heaven  to  us,  was  thus  revealed  to  them. 
If  such  may  have  been  the  case,  that  one  globe,  or  even  all,  may 
have,  or  yet  may  apostatize  ;  such  angels,  to  whom  such  a  com- 
mission might  or  may  be  given,  were,  and  may  be  permitted  to 
give  evidence  as  notable,  as  was  the  evidence  given  of  the  origin 
of  the  Law  on  Mount  Sinia,  or  of  the  atonement  to  the  Shep- 
herds ;  then  might  such  fallen  beings  become  ministers  of  the 
grace  of  God,  to  their  fellow  beings,  as  is  the  fact  in  this  world  ; 
preaching  and  turning  poor  sinners  to  the  wisdom  of  the  just. 
In  support  of  this  opinion,  we  see  no  good  reason  why  the  words 
of  St.  Paul  may  not  be  extended  to  such  cases  ;  for  who  can  fix 
the  boundaries  of  the  wisdom  and  mercy  of  God,  to  the  fallen,  if 
fallen  under  such  circumstances  as  not  to  preclude  the  just  exer- 
cise of  mercy,  as  it  appears  was  our  condition.     See  Romans,  vi. 
10,  "  For  in  that  he  died,  he  died  unto  sin  once/'  or  on  the  ac- 
count of  sin,  once,  and  but  once  forever  more  ;  and  as  he  is  risen 
from  the  dead  ''-death  hath  no  more  dominion  over  him"     On 
which  account,  he  cannot  die  any  more,  though  millions  of  worlds 
were  to  fall  as  this  has  done  ;  yet  the  benefits  of  his  death  here, 
may,  for  aught  we  can  object,  be  extended  to  all  such  cases,  by 
the  ministration  of  angels,  and  the  reception  of  such  ministration 
by  faith,  be  the  condition  of  their  salvation,  as  well  as  of  ours. 
St.  Paul  has  recorded  the  same  idea,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
x.  12,  "  But  this  man,  after  he  had  offered  one  sacrifice  (that  of 
himself)  for  sins,  forever  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  God," 
never  to  suffer  again  for  offenders.      This  view  of  the  subject  of 
the  incarnation  of  God,  and  of  the  one  atonement  for  sinners, 
such  sinners  as  are  eligible  to  pity ;  and  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  body  of  Christ,  and  his  ascension  to  heaven  ;  we  think  en- 
tirely answers  the  query  of  the  author  of  the  Age  of  Reason, 
Thomas  Paine  ;  which  runs  thus  :  There  being  many  worlds  in 
existence,  all  of  which  there  can  be  no  doubt,  are   inhabited, 
and  in  as  much  danger  of  falling  as  Adam  was  ;  if  so,  then  the 
Son  of  God  has  nothing  less  to  do,  than  to  keep  on  dying  for 
sinning  worlds,  as  they  may  happen  to  apostatize,  all  along  the 
endless  ages  of  eternity.     If  so,  then  an  accumulation  of  corpo- 
real bodies,  would  be  the  consequence ;  and  were  it  so,  would 
present  an  insurmountable  difficulty,  which  Christianity  never 
could  solve  or  endue  that  we  can  see.     But  on  the  view  of  his 
dying  but  once,  and  the  benefits  of  that  death  being  extended  to 
all  cases  of  sin,  which  can  be  commiserated,  in  all  worlds,  in  the 
great  family  of  nature  ;  then  the  objection  of  Paine  is  obviated, 
and  need  give  no  further  trouble.     On  this  view,  how  amazingly 
is  the  redeeming  power  of  Christ's  death  enhanced,  in  its  glory, 
in  its  capability  of  extending  without  end  to  all  possible  cases  of 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

commiseration.  On  this  plan,  contemplation  may  riot  in  a 
boundless,  fathomless  ocean  of  display  on  the  part  of  God ;  and 
in  ceaseless  degrees  of  intellectual  beings,  as  well  as  of  numbers 
and  happiness,  on  the  part  of  his  creatures.  What  hosts  there 
are,  and  shall  forever  be ;  besides  those  of  this  earth,  who  shall 
ascribe  salvation  to  God  and  the  Lamb,  who  from  all  worlds, 
both  fallen  and  not  fallen,  shall  pour  as  mighty  torrents,  in  per- 
petual flow,  to  that  one  heaven ;  to  rest  from  their  labors,  and  to 
ascend  in  the  scale  of  intellectual  happiness,  without  end.  For 
if  there  are  worlds  of  intellectual  beings  who  have  not  sinned  as 
we  have  done  ;  yet  this  circumstance  must  not  be  allowed  to  pre- 
vent their  advancement  in  the  scale  of  being  ;  lest  such  as  have 
sinned,  and  have  been  subjected  to  death  on  that  account,  might 
seem  to  have  superior  privileges,  on  account  of  their  resurrection, 
and  happy  arrival  in  heaven  ;  which  could  not  have  been  if  they 
iiad  not  sinned,  says  one.  But  such  an  opinion  is  not  cor- 
rect, for  if  our  race,  or  any  other  race  of  intellectual  beings,  on 
any  part  of  the  universe  of  God,  had  never  sinned,  nor  ever  shall 
sin,  some  mode  by  which  the)*  could  be  removed  to  give  place 
to  others,  as  they  should  be  born  into  life,  must  be  resorted  to. 
and  that  mode  would  have  been  translations.  That  such  is 
the  mode,  where  death  has  not  come,  the  two  instances  of  the 
translations  of  Enoch  and  Elijah  has  been  afforded  to  prove  it? 
as  well  also,  as  to  show  how  the  saints  are  to  get  to  heaven,  who 
are  not  to  die,  and  will  be  found  alive  on  the  earth  at  the  time  of 
the  last  day.  For,  on  this  very  subject,  St.  Paul  has  said,  Thes. 
i.  17,  "  Then  we  (they)  which  are  alive  and  remain,  shall  be 
caught  up  together  with  them  (those  who  shall  then  be  raised 
from  their  graves)  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and 
so  shall  we  even  be  with  the  Lord."  This  being  caught  up  alive 
is  translation,  the  same  as  Enoch  and  Elijah ;  the  same  doctrine 
therefore,  may  be  applied  to  all  worlds,  so  that  equality  of  oppor- 
tunity may  obtain  to  those  who  have  not  sinned,  as  well  as  to 
them  who  have.  On  this  subject,  the  ministration  of  angels 
to  other  worlds,  respecting  what  the  Son  of  God  did  in  this  for 
sinners,  may  it  not  be  conjectured,  that  from  his  birth  till  his 
ascension  into  heaven,  that  myriads  of  these  supernatural  min- 
isters were  ever  with  him,  noting  down,  as  heavenly  historians, 
his  acts  and  his  sufferings.  And  that  when  the  mighty  history- 
was  finished,  away  they  sped,  as  rays  of  light,  to  the  respective 
worlds  of  the  universe,  which  then  existed,  or  may  exist,  to  tell 
the  tidings  of  salvation,  and  of  the  great  atonement. 

But  says  one,  how  did  they  communicate  it?  This  is  answer- 
ed by  referring  to  the  case  of  the  angels,  who  first  of  all  announ- 
ced salvation  to  the  shepherds  of  Bethlehem.  And  further,  such 
angels  may  have  even  mingled  with  the  inhabitants  of  such 
worlds  to  which  they  were  sent,  and  face  to  face,  in  familiar 
converse,  told  them  the  thrilling  story  of  the  wisdom,  benevo- 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  85 

lence  and  power  of  the  Creator,  as  shown  in  the  incarnation, 
death  and  resurrection  of  the  Son  of  God.  On  this  supposition, 
that  of  Jesus  Christ  heing  a  propitiation  for  the  sin  of  all  worlds, 
there  follows  another  consideration  of  the  most  animating  de- 
scription to  Christians  of  this  earth,  and  this  is  it.  Such  as  shall 
be  saved,  and  shall  safely  arrive  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be- 
yond this  life,  will  no  doubt  be  admitted  to  accompany  the  Son 
of  God  on  the  great  occasions  of  the  judgment  days  of  such  worlds 
as  may  sin,  as  this  has  done,  to  whom  some  part  in  the  awful  pa- 
geantry may  be  committed,  as  will  be  committed  to  the  angels  of 
God  at  the  end  of  this  world,  and  to  the  souls  of  the  just  who  are 
now  in  paradise,  and  shall  accompany  Him  when  he  shall  de- 
scend from  heaven  at  the  last  day. 

Ah,  who  can  foretel  the  ravishing  events  and  developements 
of  the  wisdom  and  power  of  God,  as  ceaseless  ages  shall  unfold 
their  secrets ;  which  events  and  developements  will  occupy  the 
minds  of  the  highest  intelligences,  whether  of  heaven  itself,  or 
of  the  spirits  of  other  worlds,  without  end,  perpetually  increasing 
the  happiness  of  that  much  desired  state  of  things;  while  those 
who  shall  be  lost  will  be  covered  with  perpetual  darkness  or  ig- 
norance of  what  is  going  forward  in  the  Empire  of  the  Eternal 
God.  'Twere  easy  to  dilate  here  in  so  bright  and  wide  a  field, 
but  we  desist. 


Condition  of  the  first  Spirits,  and  Proofs  that  they  were  made 
in  a  great  variety  of  Orders  and  Degrees  of  Intellectual 
Power,  and  that  their  first  Thoughts  or  Probation  was 
about  their  Being,  and  of  the  origin  of  Satan. 

But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  the  employment  of  those  first 
angelic  beings,  which  we  have  left  some  six  or  eight  pages  above, 
with  the  view  of  now  persuing  it  somewhat  further,  and  to  ascer- 
tain tj^e  origin  of  Satan. 

We  remark  that  it  is  impossible  to  imagine  any  other  subject 
of  contemplation  and  mental  exertion,  than  the  mystery  of  their 
beinor,  could  at  that  period  have  occupied  their  minds,  as  there 
existed  at  that  time  no  part  of  the  visible  creation,  themselves 
and  their  own  heaven  excepted,  to  furnish  matter  of  reflection, 
and  of  communication.  On  comparing  the  thoughts  of  their 
minds  with  each  other,  they  could  but  find  a  similarity  of  men- 
tal pursuit;  and  the  little  as  yet  acquired  on  this  subject  could 
but  stimulate  to  further  research.  At  first  it  may  have  appeared 
to  them  that  they  had  existed  always,  as  no  man,  and  it  is  likely 
no  angel,  can  remember  the  time  when  he  did  not  exist ;  yet  they 
may  have  been  able  from  a  comparison  of  ideas,  acquired  by 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

mental  exercise  and  experience  of  this  sort  among  themselves,  to 
have  come  to  "a  conclusion  that  they  had  not  been  long  in  a  state 
of  society  at  any  rate ;  but  hoio,  or  in  what  manner,  or  from 
tohence  they  had  arrived  must  have  been  a  mystery  to  them,  till 
such  time  as  information,  from  a  competent  source  could  be  an- 
nounced, are  believed  by  them.  Could  Adam  ever  have  solved 
the  problem  of  the  commencement  of  his  being  ;  could  he  have 
ever  made  out  in  and  of  himself  the  author  of  his  own  and  his 
Eve's  origin?  We  think  not.  On  which  account  it  was  neces- 
sary that  a  revelation  on  this  very  point,  should  be  had  from  a 
competent  source  ;  yet  they  could,  by  comparing  their  thoughts 
with  each  other,  and  from  what  they  could  see,  hear,  and  remem- 
ber, conclude  that  they  had  not  been  long  in  a  state  of  society 
with  each  other.  But  whether  they  had  or  had  not,  separately 
existed  a  greater  or  a  less  length  of  time,  or  whether  always  they 
could  not  have  known,  if  the)''  had  not  been  told  by  their  Maker. 
Adam  could  never  have  known  from  whence  his  Eve  had  come 
if  God  had  not  told  him  ;  for  when  his  side  was  opened  and  a 
part  thereof  taken  away,  out  of  which  she  was  formed,  Adam 
was  in  a  deep  sleep  ;  much  less,  therefore,  could  he  fathom  the 
higher  mystery  of  his  own  creation,  and  that  of  the  globe,  if  God 
had  not  told  him. 

If  then  it  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  the  mystery  of  their  being 
was  the  first  field  of  angelic  employment,  it  is  also  as  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  Creator  did  not  at  first  reveal  himself  to  these 
first-born  sons  of  light ;  but  left  them  awhile  to  the  exercise  of 
their  own  powers,  while  himself  remained  invisible  as  he  now 
does  to  the  inhabitants  of  this,  and  all  worlds  except  heaven  it- 
self; but  took  cognizance  of  all  their  ways  and  mental  operations. 
Out  of  such  a  state  of  things  we  may  easily  perceive  that  vari- 
ous opinions  may  have  obtained  among  these  sons  of  the  morn- 
ing, these  stars  of  God,  about  their  existence  ;  yet  whatever  else 
their  opinions  may  have  been,  they  could  never  have  come  to  the 
all  astounding  hypothesis  that  they  had  been  their  own  creators, 
as  that  was  impossible ;  and  more  than  this,  it  is  much  to  be 
doubted  whether  an  idea  of  their  having  been  created  at  aJJ  ever 
entered  their  thoughts  till  revealed ;  because  so  high,  so  deep  and 
so  incomprehensible  a  matter,  is  in  our  opinion  above  the  reach 
or  the  invention  of  finite  intellect,  whether  of  men  or  of  angels, 
and  could  never  have  obtained  in  earth  or  heaven,  if  this  fact, 
this  trait  of  omnipotence,  had  not  been  revealed  by  the  Creator  ; 
so  important  is  it,  in  our  opinion,  to  the  glory  of  God,  that  all 
matters  of  moral  doctrine  should  be  a  subject  of  revelation,  and 
that, of  Himself,  as  men  nor  angels  by  their  wisdom  could  never 
have  found  it  out. 

But  we  hasten  to  prove  from  the  Scriptures  that  the  angels 
were  created  in  a  great  variety  of  orders  or  of  intellectual  degrees. 
Such  an  arrangement  cannot  but  be  regarded  as  beautiful ;  for 


ANGELS  OP  THE    SCRIPTURES.  87 

variety  even  among  celestial  beings,  would  conduce  to  their  hap- 
piness. Variety  among  men,  in  the  powers  of  their  minds,  the 
form  of  their  bodies,  and  lineaments  of  countenance,  conduce  to 
happiness  ;  as  well  also  as  the  endless  variety  found  through  all 
animal  and  vegetable  life ;  the  herbage,  forests,  minerals  and 
flowers  of  the  earth  beautify  and  adorn  creation,  making  it  more 
the  abode  of  comfort  and  delight. 

But  as  heads  of  all  the  heavenly  orders  of  holy  angels,  Michael 
and  Lucifer  seem  to  be  pointed  out.  We  know,  however,  that 
the  term  Lucifer  sounds  exceedingly  repulsive,  because  by  it, 
is  71010  understood  the  devil — the  destroyer.  But  such  was  not 
the  original  meaning  of  the  name,  and  did  not  describe  a  malevo- 
lent being,  any  more  than  did  the  word  Michael,  the  name  of  the 
other  archangel.  The  term  Lucifer,  as  used  by  Isaiah  the  Pro- 
phet, when  applied  in  a  certain  sense  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  meant 
in  that  tongue,  which  was  the  Chaldean,  Light-bringer ;  while 
Michael  signified  the  might  of  God — both  equally  honorable 
equally  glorious.  But  since  the  apostacy  of  Lucifer,  Mi- 
chael alone  is  spoken  of  as  the  only  arch-angel  of  heavan 
by  St.  Jude,  which  we  learn  from  his  using  the  article  the 
in  relation  to  him,  which  proves  there  is  but  one,  and  speaks 
of  his  having  once  contended  with  the  devil  about  the  body 
of  Moses,  and  gives  him  the  dignified  appellation  of  Michael  the 
arch  angel,  by  which  is  understood  the  highest  of  angelic  natures 
then  existing.  Gabriel  is  also  an  angel  of  another  order,  but  low- 
er, as  he  is  never  in  the  Scriptures  called  an  arc/j-angel,  yet  is 
spoken  of  as  a  mighty  angel.  The  ministration  of  this  latter 
spiritual  being  is  several  times  spoken  of  in  the  Bible.  Sec  Dan. 
viii.  16,  where  it  is  said,  "  And  I  heard  a  man's  voice  between  the 
banks  of  Ulai,  (or  the  Chaldean  name  of  the  Euphrates)  which 
called  and  said,  Gabriel,  make  this  man  (Daniel)  to  understand 
the  vision."  Again  in  the  next  chapter,  the  9th  of  Daniel.  21,  it 
is  further  stated  respecting  this  spirit  as  follows  :  "  Yea,  while  I 
(Daniel)  was  speaking  in  prayer,  the  man  Gabriel  whom  I  had 
seen  in  the  vision,  at  the  beginning,  being  caused  to  fly  swiftly, 
touched  me  about  the  time  of  the  evening  oblation."  The  same 
angelic  being  was  seen  of  Zecherias  in  the  inner  temple,  stand- 
ing on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  altar  of  incense,  who  said,  "  I 
am  Gabeiel  that  standeth  in  the  (immediate)  presence  of  God,  and 
am  sent  to  speak  unto  thee,  and  to  shew  thee  good  tidings."  Luke 
i.  19. 

There  are  also  in  the  book  of  Rev.  many  passages  which  favor 
this  opinion  ;  viz. — of  a  variety  of  supernatural  angelic  orders,  a 
few  of  which  are  as  follows  :  Rev.  i.  1.  u  The  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ  *  *  *  and  he  sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel  unto 
his  servant  John."  Rev.  iv.  4.  There  are  twenty-four  glorious 
beings  mentioned  and  distinguished  as  elders,  even  in  heaven  ; 
which  proves  them  as  superiors, — as  follows:    M  Around  about 


88  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

the  throne  were  four'  and  twenty  seats  :  and  upon  the  seats  I  saw 
four  and  twenty  elders  sitting  clothed  in  white  raiment ;  and 
they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold."  In  the  same  chapter, 
verse  8,  is  found  other  orders,  differing  from  the  elders  in  several 
remarkable  particulars ;  such  as — that  they  were  full  of  eyes 
within  and  without ;  besides  being  clothed  with  three  pair  of 
gorgeous  wings;  who  were  employed  in  ascribing  praises  to 
Him,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  In  the  fifth  chapter  of 
this  book,  verse  second,  is  another  evidence  to  the  same  effect : 
M  And  I  saw  a  stro7ig  angel,  proclaiming,  or  crying  with  a  loud 
voice :  who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals 
thereof.  And  11th  verse,  of  the  same  chapter,  is  a  further 
account ;  from  which  we  infer  the  doctrine  of  a  great  variety  of 
orders  among  the  angels  of  God : — "  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard 
the  voice  of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and  the  beasts 
and  the  elders  :  and  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  and  thousands  of  thousands,  saying  with  a  loud 
voice,  worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  riches 
and  wisdom  and  strength  and  honor  and  glory  and  blessing.*' 
Rev.  x.  1, 2,  3  :  "  And  I  saw  another  mighty  angel  come  down 
from  heaven,  clothed  with  a  cloud :  and  a  rainbow  was  upon  his 
head,  and  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars 
of  fire :  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open  :  and  he  set 
his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  on  the  earth :  And  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a  lion  roareth,  lifting  up  his  hands  to 
heaven,  and  swore  by  him  that  liveth  forever  and  ever,  who 
created  heaven  and  earth,  and  the  things  that  are  therein,  that 
there  should  be  time  no  longer?  If  then,  to  digress  a  moment, 
there  is  a  time  to  come,  when  time  shall  be  no  longer,  will  not 
that  time  be  the  end  of  time, — and  consequently  the  end  of  the 
world ;  which  is  the  day  of  Judgment,  so  often  alluded  to  in  the 
Bible  ;  and  cannot  be  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  :  because  time 
did  not  come  to  an  end  at  that  time.  Also,  Rev.  xx.  1.  2:  "  And 
I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  [bottomless,  or  endless,  because  there  is  the  place 
of  unending  torments.]  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand:  And  he 
laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the  Devil,  and 
Satan,  and  bound  him  (See  the  Plate,)  a  thousand  years,— du- 
ring which  time  will  be  the  Millenium.  See  Eph.  i.  21,  for 
our  final  proof  of  the  belief  of  the  doctrine  of  a  multitude  of  orders 
arid  degrees  among  the  angels  of  heaven.  In  that  place,  the 
writer,  who  was  St.  Paul,  speaks  of  the  exaltation  of  the  Son  of 
Man,  after  his  resurrection,  and  says  that  he  was  set  "  far  above 
all  principalities,  power,  might  and  dominion,  and  every  name 
that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  that  which  is  to 
come."  By  which  we  learn,  that  there  are  names  designating 
powers,  principalities,  and  dominions,  as  well  in  a  world  of 
spirits,  as  in  this  ;  which  we  think,  proves  the  belief  of  the  great 


ANGELS   OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  91 

amount  of  intellectual  variety  among  the  angels  of  God,  as  at 
first  created]  notwithstanding,  many,  if  not  all  Universalists, 
deny  angelic  existences,  as  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  the 
same  as  did  the  Saducees,  in  the  time  of  Christ;  the  Deists  of 
that  age  ;  and  the  most  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  true  Chris- 
tianity :  the  same  as  all  I'liiversalists,  in  every  age,  have  been 
guilty  o£  like  their  true  brethren  above  named:  and  will  ever 
be,  till  they  renounce  their  opinions  as  a  people. 

We  cannot  however,  condemn  every  one  of  this  opinion,  as 
Deists  ;  because  there  are  some  of  that  order,  who  appear  to  be 
in  reality  converted  persons,  and  talk  about  religion,  and  the  Sa- 
viour, the  same  as  the  other  sects  ;  but  such  talk,  and  such  con- 
version, never  arose  out  of  the  true  Universalist  opinions ;  as 
those  opinions  deny  spiritual  conversion,  the  Deity  of  Christ, 
his  expiatory  death,  the  real  fall  of  Adam,  the  existence  of  abso- 
lute sin,  or  moral  evil :  which  to  deny,  is  to  deny  the  whole 
essence  of  Christianity,  the  new  birth  and  all. 


The  Subject  of  Spiritual  and  Angelic  Existence,  further 
examined :  to  ascertain  whether  the  Accounts  of  such  Be- 
ings, as  found  in  the  Bible,  signify  Men  or  Spirits. 

This  we  think  proper  to  do,  before  we  come  to  the  main  point ; 
the  cause  of  the  being  of  Satan — as  an  evil  being. 

Many  Universal ists,  as  we  before  have  noticed,  deny  that  the 
Scriptures,  by  the  word  angel,  means  any  thing  more  or  less  than 
men ;  as  prophets,  apostles,  evangelists,  and  ministers  of  reli- 
gion, or  messengers  of  good  or  ill.  But  why  do  they  deny  this  ? 
Because,  if  they  admit  the  existence  of  good  angels,  they,  of 
necessity,  must  admit  the  existence  of  evil  angels,  such  as  St. 
Jude  speaks  of.  who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  were  cast  down 
to  hell :  and  this  would  he  to  admit  at  once  that  there  is  a  Satan, 
and  devils,  and  also  a  hell — as  is  believed  by  other  sects  of  Chris- 
tians; therefore,  their  existence  must  be  denied  totally. —  and 
accordingly  is,  by  all  who  are  thorough  in  that  creid.  Angels 
are  almost  everywhere  spoken  of.  in  both  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
tament: commencing  as  early  in  time  as  Abraham,  and  ending 
but  with  St.  John,  the  Revelator  :  under  such  circumstances  as 
precludes  the  possibility  of  their  having  been  men,  in  any  view 
of  the  subject. 

Let  such  as  deny  the  being  of  spirits,  called  angels,  examine 
the  quotations  we  have  already  made  in  proof  of  a  variety  of 
orders  amon^  the  angels,  and  those  we  are  now  about  to  make; 
but  especially  the  whole  of  chapters  17,  IS,  and  19,  of  Genesis, 
the  story  of  which  is  as  follows.     When  Abraham  was  ninety- 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

nine  years  old,  the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  the  form  of  a  man, 
had  said  "  I  am  the  Almighty  Gad  ;"  when  he  instructed  Abra- 
anm  relative  to  circumcision,  and  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah. 
And  when  he  left  off  talking  with  him,  God  went  ascending  from 
his  sight,  up  toward  heaven,  maintaining  to  the  last  glimpse,  the 
form  of  a  man.  Gen.  xvii.  22. 

Bat  at  another  time — which,  however,  was  soon  after  this  first 
appearance — the  Almighty  appeared  to  Abraham  again,  and  in 
the  form  of  a  man :  with  two  of  his  angels  with  him,  having  also 
the  same  form.  Gen.  xviii.  1,  2 :  "  And  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
him  in  the  plains  of  Mamre:  and  he  sat  in  the  tent-door  in  the 
heat  of  the  day :  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and  lo, 
three  man  stood  by  him."  It  would  seem  that  these  three  men 
had  not  been  discovered  in  their  approach,  but  had  suddenly 
mada  themselves  visible  from  a  previous  invisible  state;  or  it 
could  not  well  have  been  stated  by  Moses,  that  those  three  men 
stood  by  Abraham,  without  also  mentioning  that  their  approach 
had  been  noticed  by  him,  if  they  were  nothing  more  than  ordi- 
nary men.  But  notwithstanding  this  sudden  appearance,  Abra- 
ham, it  seems,  did  not  know  that  his  guests  were  from  heaven, 
for  he  made  haste,  from  the  goodness  of  his  heart,  to  prepare 
them  food,  and.  after  they  had  seemed  to  eat,  he  arose  and  went 
on  a  while  with  them,  toward  the  vale  of  Sodom — whither  they 
were  going  ;  but  ere  he  parted  from  them — by  some  means,  not 
recorded — he  found  out  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  witli  two  of  his 
holy  angels,  had  been  his  visitors,  and  that  they  were  come  forth 
to  destroy  by  fire,  the  five  cities  of  the  vale  of  Sodom.  At  this 
time  the  noted  plea  for  mercy,  made  by  Abraham  to  the  Lord,  for 
these  davoted  cities,  took  place  ;  after  which,  it  is  said,  the  Lord 
went  his  way.  Now  if  Abraliam  had  been  a  Universalist — as 
that  paople  claim  he  was,  as  also  all  the  prophets — where  was 
the  propriety  of  his  plea  of  mercy,  for  the  mere  lives  of  the  So- 
domites— seeing  they  were  so  exceedingly  wicked,  as  to  have 
become  a  nuisance  on  the  face  of  the  earth — when  he  must  have 
known  that  their  death  would  be  their  eternal  reformation  and 
happiness  in  another  world. 

In  the  19th  chapter  of  Genesis,  is  found  an  account  of  two 
angels  rescuing  Lot  and  his  two  daughters  from  ruin.  But  the 
proof  that  those  two  strangers  whom  it  appears  Lot — from  the 
hospitableness  of  his  disposition,  rescued  from  being  lodgers  in 
the  street,  were  angels,  or  supernatural  beings,  is :  that  as  the 
wicked  man  of  Sodom  beset  the  house  of  righteous  Lot,  they, 
the  angels,  struck  them  with  blindness ;  such  power,  we  believe, 
is  not  conferred  on  mortals,  so  as  to  inflict  blindness,  or  any  other 
disorder,  by  invisible  means. 

After  this,  soma  twenty  five  years  had  rolled  away,  when  Isaac 
the  so  a  of  Abraham,  had  grown  to  m  in1*:  estate  ;  the  Lord,  it 
appears,  rcpiired  the  sacrifice  of  this  son  to  try  the  fealty  of 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  95 

Abraham's  heart  to  God.     But  as  he  did  not  hesitate  to  do  even 
this,  nor  delay  by  standing  to  reason  the  case  in  his  own  mind, 
and  was  about  to  deal  the  blow  of  death  ;  there  suddenly  was 
heard  the  cry  of  an  angel's  voice,  in  the  air  above  him,  there  on 
the  wild  and  spiry  summit  of  Mount  Moriah,  saying,  Abraham, 
Abraham,  lay  not  thy  hand  upon  the  lad,  neither  do  any  thing 
unto  him :  for  now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou 
hast  not  withheld  thy  son,  thine  only  son  from  me.     Now  the 
proof  that  this  angel  was  not  a  man,  but  a  spirit,  is,  that  Moses 
states,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  called  to  Abraham  out  of  heaven, 
(See  the  Plate,)  the  atmosphere  above,  a  place  where  men  do  not 
often  appear.  Gen.  xxii.  11, 12.     How  it  is  that  Universalists  can 
deny  the  existence  of  supernatural  angelic  beings — as  many  of 
them  do,  and  contend  that  the  Scriptures  do  not  justify  the  belief, 
and  at  the  same  time  are  acquainted  with  accounts  those  books 
give  of  such  beings,  is  to  us  an  unaccountable  problem — if  they 
credit  the  Bible  at  all.     Among  a  multitude  of  such  facts,  the  fol- 
lowing is  not  one  of  the  least  notable,  that  go  to  prove  the  be- 
lief true  :  see  2d  Kings,  chap,  vi.,  verses  8  to  23  inclusive,  in 
which  a  most  interesting  and  extraordinary  account  of  the  kind 
is  given  in  the  case  of  a  Syrian  king  and  his  army,  who  were 
making  war  upon  one  of  the  kings  of  Israel.     In  this  account,  it 
is  stated,  that  there  was  a  prophet — namely,  Elisha — who  in- 
formed the  king  of  Israel  several  times  of  certain  snares  and 
ambushes,  which  the  Syrian  king  had  contrived — by  which  his 
capture  was  intended — and  that  on  this  account,  he  escaped. 
This  was  a  matter  of  wonder  to  the  Syrian  monarch,  and  led 
him  to  suspect  there  were  traitors  in  his  own  army,  to  his  cause. 
But  this  was  indignantly  contradicted  by  his  officers,  who  stated 
that  the  prophet  Elisha  informed  the  king  of  Israel  of  all  that  he 
did,  even  of  the  very  words  he  uttered  in  his  bed  chamber.     On 
this  account,  tire  Syrian  king  became  determined  to  take  him 
prisoner.     Accordingly  he  despatched  a  small  army  to  a  place 
called  Doth  an — where  Elisha  then  was — which   place  they 
entirely  surrounded,  under  cover  of  night.     This  circumstance, 
it  appears,  was  unknown  to  the  prophet,  until  his  servant  Gehiza, 
who  had  risen  very  early  in  the  morning,  and  having  gone  out 
of  the  house,  saw  the  place  entirely  invested  by  men  in  arms, 
and  by  horsemen  and  chariots,  a  great  multitude.     This  circum- 
stance greatly  frightened  the  young  man,  for  he  now  ran  in  to 
his  master,  crying  "  alas  master  hoio  shall  v:e  do."     The  proph- 
et, however,  was  perfectly  cool,  notwithstanding  this  alarming  in- 
telligence, and  said  to  his  servant,  "fear  vol,  for  they  that  be  with 
us  are  more  than  they  that  be  with  them" — when  he  lifting  his 
hands  to  heaven  said,   u  O  Lord,  I  pray  tbee,  open  his  eyes  that 
he  may  sec.     And  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes  of  the  young  man ; 
and  he  saw,  and  behold  the  mountains  were  full  of  horses  and 
chariots  of  lire  round  about  Elisha."     These  were  the  angels  of 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

God  invisible  beings,  or  the  eyes  of  the  servant  need  not  to  have 
been  opened,  in  order  for  him  to  have  seen  them.  From  this  it 
appears  that  we  are  in  all  probability  always  surrounded  by 
beings  of  this  description,  the  messengers  of  the  Almighty,  whose 
habitations  are  throughout  the  whole  universe  of  God,  who  see 
and  know  all  that  is  passing  in  any  and  all  the  worlds  of  space. 

Another  notable  instance  of  angelic  interference  is  found  in 
Luke,  xxii.  43.  in  the  case  of  our  Lord's  agony  in  the  garden  of 
Gethsemane,  where  it  is  said,  "  and  there  appeared  an  angel  unto 
him  from  heaven,  strengthening  him,"  as  his  agony  at  that  point 
was  even  greater  than  on  the  cross,  in  which  human  nature, 
even  as  possessed  by  the  Son  of  God,  was  found  inadequate  to 
bear,  without  submitting  to  death  too  soori  to  fulfill  the  prophe- 
cies of  his  crucifiction  by  wicked  hands.  This  angel  who  thus 
strengthened  him,  is  shown  not  to  have  been  a  man,  as  he  is 
called  an  angel  from  heaven,  and  there  is  no  such  place  on  earth 
that  we  have  heard  of;  besides,  what  man  was  he  who  was  able 
to  give  support  to  the  mental  agonies  of  the  soul  of  Jesus  Christ, 
when  by  suffering  he  made  atonement  for  the  world. 

Cornelius,  a  Gentile  of  Cesarea,  and  a  military  officer  of  the 
Roman  army,  saw  at  a  certain  time  in  a  vision,  not  while  in 
sleep,  but  in  the  day  tims,  about  the  ninth  hour,  an  angel  of  God: 
"  and  when  he  looked  on  him  he  was  afraid,  and  said  what  is  it 
Lord?"  Now  if  this  had  been  a  mere  man,  would  this  Roman 
officer  have  been  afraid,  and  called  him  Elohim,  the  Lord  or 
Most  High  ?  no,  not  even  if  it  had  been  in  a  drea?n — as  a  dream 
under  the  direction  or  influence  of  inspiration,  could  never  have 
thus  proceeded,  if  not  true  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 

But  in  Acts,  12th  chap,  there  is  an  account  of  this  kind  far 
more  remarkable  than  the  one  last  above  related.  This  is  res- 
pecting St.  Peter,  who  having  been  put  in  prison  by  the  Jewish 
rulers,  on  acconntof  his  being  a  Christian,  was  bound  therewith 
two  chains,  and  placed  during  the  night  season,  between  two 
soldiers,  who  slept  on  each  side  of  him,  as  a  guard  against  his 
escape.  From  this  situation  Peter  was  released  by  an  angel  of 
God ;  the  facts  of  which  we  will  give  in  detail,  as  found  in  the 
book  of  Acts,  as  follows  :  "  Peter  therefore  was  kept  in  prison, 
but  prayer  was  m;xd3  without  ceasing  of  the  church  unto  God 
for  him.  And  when  Herod  would  have  brought  him  forth,  the 
same  night  Peter  was  sleeping  between  two  soldiers,  bound  with 
two  chains:  and  the  keepers  before  the  door  kept  the  prison. 
And  behold  the  an^el  of  the  Lord  came  upon  him,  and  a  light 
shined  in  the  prison,  ahd  he  smote  (touched)  Peter  on  the  side 
and  raised  him  up  saying,  arise  quickly,  and  his  chains  fell  off 
his  hands.  And  the  angel  said  unto  him,  gird  thyself,  and  bind 
on  thy  sandals,  and  so  he  did.  And  he  saith  unto  him,  cast  thy 
garment  about  thee  and  follow  me.  And  he  went  out  and  fol- 
lowed him :  and  wist  not  that  it  was  true  which  was  done  by 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  97 

the  angel,  but  thought  he  saw  a  vision.  When  they  were  past 
the  first  and  the  second  ward,  they  came  unto  the  iron  gate  that 
leadeth  unto  the  city,  which  opened  to  them  of  its  own  accord, 
and  they  went  out,  and  passed  on  through  one  street,  and  forth- 
with the  angel  departed  from  him." 

But  says  an  objector,  all  this  may  have  been  done  by  some 
friend  to  Peter,  who  had  by  cunning,  given  the  sentry  at  the 
door,  and  the  two  soldies  who  slept  by  his  side,  some  sleeping 
potion,  and  having  procured  a  key,  not  only  to  the  prison  doors, 
but  to  the  outer  gate  of  the  city,  and  the  chain  which  manacled 
him,  went  in  and  released  him  as  they  slept,  and  all  this  done  in 
answer  to  prayer ;  and  the  person  so  doing  was  an  angel  or 
messenger  of  God  to  Peter,  but  was  no  spirit  of  another  world  ! 

But  that  this  angel  was  a  man  could  not  have  been  the  fact, 
as  it  is  stated  in  the  account,  that  the  outer  gate  of  the  city  open- 
ed of  itself,  that  is,  without  a  key,  or  any  visible  means  ;  and 
certainly  St.  Luke,  who  wrote  the  book  of  Acts,  could  not  be 
guilty  of  telling  an  untruth  in  this  matter,  or  have  been  deceived, 
as  he  was  an  inspired  writer,  in  the  matters  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, at  any  rate.  St.  Peter's  opinion  of  the  matter  was,  that 
the  Lord  had  sent  his  angel ;  for  he  said,  "  now  I  know  of  a 
surety  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  his  angel,  and  hath  delivered 
me  out  of  the  hand  of  Herod" — which  thing  St.  Peter  could 
never  have  said,  if  he  knew  that  some  fricsid  had  so  delivered  him 
and  afterwards  informed  him  of  it,  as  such  a  friend  most  certain- 
ly would  have  done. 

The  case  of  St.  Paul  is  another  proof  of  angelic  existence,  of  a 
supernatural  character,  of  which  he  speaks  as  experienced  by 
himself  on  board  the  ship,  in  the  Adriatic  sea :  who  says,  "  For 
there  stood  by  me  this  night,  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  whose  I 
am.  and  whom  I  serve,  saying,  fear  not  Paid  ;  thou  must  be 
brought  before  Caisar  :  and  lo,  God  hath  given  thee  all  them 
that  sail  with  thee.  Wherefore  sirs  be  of  Good  cheer,  for  I 
believe  God,  that  it  shall  be  even  as  it  teas  told  me"  By 
which  he  informs  us  that  his  information  was  from  heaven,  and 
therefore  the  messenger,  which  was  an  angel,  was  also  from  hea- 
ven, who  had  stood  by  St.  Paul  that  night,  and  told  him  such 
things. 

The  New  Testament  is  almost  a  continued  history  of  super- 
natural occurrences,  and  ot  supernatural  angels,  both  good  and 
bad.  as  we  shall  show  before  we  close  the  volume:  yet  there  are 
those  who  deny  everything  of  the  kind,  and  at  the  same  time 
profess  to  believe  the  Scriptures,  and  to  build  their  Christian  be- 
lief from  its  pages;  but  how  far  are  such  persons  from  real 
Christianity  in  their  faith. 

See  Matthew  xxviii.  2,  3,  4,  where  there  is  a  most  convincing 
instance  of  supernatural  operation  related,  as  connected  with  the 
resurrection  of  our  Lord's  crucified  body,  done  by  an  angel,  of  a 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

supernatural  character  and  origin.  "  Behold,  there  was  a  great 
earthquake  ;  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven, 
and  came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door  (of  the  cave) 
and  sat  upon  it.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and  his 
raiment  white  as  snow,  and  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  (the  Ro- 
man guard)  did  shake  and  become  as  dead  men."  This  could 
not  have  been  a  man,  as  men  do  not  have  countenances  like 
lightning,  nor  do  they  descend  from  heaven,  nor  cause  earth- 
quakes, nor  have  power  ro  frighten,  (one  alone)  a  whole  band  of 
fierce  and  armed  soldiers,  so  as  to  cause  them  to  become  as  dead 
men,  by  their  in  ere  looks,  as  was  the  fact  in  this  case. 

See  Judges,  chap.  xiii.  where  there  is  an  account  of  an  angel 
of  God  who  foretold  the  birth  of  Samson,  his  manner  of  life,  &c. 
and  then,  in  the  sight  of  Manoah  and  his  wife,  ascended  from  the 
the  face  of  the  rock,  in  the  flame  of  the  sacrifice,  which  they  of- 
fered there  to  the  Lord,  of  which  angel  it  is  there  said,  that  he  did 
wondrously,  by  which  no  doubt  is  meant  his  going  up  in  the 
flame,  to  a  considerable  height,  [See  the  Plate)  and  the  vanish* 
ing  out  sight.  Which  occurrence  greatly  frightened  Manoah, 
the  same  man  who  was  afterwards  the  father  of  Samson,  the 
strongest,  as  well  as  the  most  foolish  fellow  that  ever  judged  a 
people. 

Of  this  angel,  as  seen  by  Manoah,  it  is  said  in  the  account  gi- 
ven in  Judges,  that  his  countenance  was  not  as  that  of  a  man, 
though  having  the  lineaments;  yet  was  of  a  superior  cast. 
Mark  the  words  of  inspiration  :  "  His  countenance  was  like  the 
countenance  of  an  angel  of  God,  very  terrible"  or  glorious  to 
look  upon,  which  could  not  have  been  said  of  a  mere  man  :  and 
that  he  went  up  in  the  flame  of  the  sacrifice,  toward  the  heavens, 
proves  beyond  all  contradiction  that  this  angel  was  not  a  mortal 
man ;  as  the  thing  could  not  possibly  have  been  performed  by  the 
natural  ability  of  any  one  of  the  race. 

We  have  now  a  most  interesting  account  to  give,  as  much  so 
perhaps  as  any  in  the  whole  Scriptures,  by  which  not  only  the 
existence  of  supernatural  angels  is  corroborated,  but  the  doc- 
trine of  a  variety  of  orders  among  the  angelic  hosts  proven,  as 
before  attempted  to  be  done,  as  well  also  as  the  existence  of  evil 
angels,  and  their  respective  influence  on  the  minds  of  men. 

See  Daniel,  chap.  x.  in  the  course  of  which  we  read,  that  the 
prophet  stood  by  the  river  Hidekel,  or  as  it  is  now  termed  the 
Arazares.  He  saw  a  glorious  being  who  appeared  to  be  clothed 
"  in  linen,  and  his  loins  girded  with  fine  gold  of  Uphaz,  (or  of 
Ophir)  his  body  also  was  like  the  beryl,  (a  pellucid  gem  of  a 
blueish-green  color)  and  his  face  as  the  appearance  of  lightning, 
and  his  eyes  as  lamps  of  fire,  and  his  arms  and  his  feet  like  in 
color  to  polished  brass,  and  the  voice  of  his  words  like  the  voice 
of  a  multitude."  With  this  angel  Daniel  conversed  respecting 
many  things  which  were  to  come  to  pass  in  after  ages ;  wonder. 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  101 

fully  describing  the  rise  and  fall  of  various  great  empires,  and  of 
the  care  himself  and  Michael  the  archangel  had  over  the  desti- 
nies of  the  Jews.  He  told  him  also  that  from  the  day  Daniel  set 
his  heart  to  understand  and  to  chasten  himself,  (not  Ly  flagella- 
tions with  a  whip,  &c.  as  some  fanatics  or  deceivers  have  done,) 
before  God,  that  he  had  desired  to  come  to  him,  and  to  instruct 
him  in  a  knowledge  of  future  events;  but  that  theprince  of  the 
kingdom  of  Persia,  withstood  him  from  doing  so,  one  and  licen- 
ty  days  ;  but  lo  Michael,  one  of  the  chief  princes,  came  to  help 
him. 

We  wish  to  notice  in  particular  in  this  place  one  expression,  as 
pertinent  to  the  idea  of  different  orders  of  angels,  and  this  is  it — 
"lo  Michael,  one  of  the  chief  princes  came  to  help  me."  By 
which  we  understand  that  as  Michael  was  one  of  those  chief 
princes  among  the  angelic  orders,  that  there  are  also  other  prin- 
ces, or  it  could  not  have  been  said  with  propriety  that  he  was 
one  of  them.  From  which  account  it  appears  that  we  here  as- 
certain certainly  three  different  orders  of  being  ;  first,  the  glori- 
ous angel,  who  is  particularly  described  above,  and  who  con- 
versed with  Daniel :  and  second,  Michael  the  archangel,  who 
came  to  help  him  against  the  prince  of  Persia,  an  evil  angel,  who 
opposed  the  interests  of  the  Jews  in  the  mind  of  Cyrus  :  and  an- 
other angel  who  is  denominated  the  prince  of  Grecia,  who  was 
to  come  as  soon  as  this  glorious  angel,  who  had  communed  with 
Daniel,  had  gone  forth  from  him. 

But  why  did  this  evil  angel,  called  the  prince  of  Persia,  op- 
pose himself  to  those  other  angels,  who  were  favorable  to  the 
interests  of  the  Jews?  (For  this  was  the  case;  as  appears  by  the 
statement  of  the  angel  who  had  conversed  with  Daniel,  who  said 
to  him,  at  last,  when  he  had  caused  him  to  know,  and  to  under- 
stand fully,  icliy  he  had  visited  him,  that  he  would  then  return  to 
fight  with  this  prince  of  Persia,)  because  it  is  likely  he  knew  that 
if  the  Jewish  nations  could  by  any  means  be  prevented  rebuild- 
ing their  ruined  city  walls  and  temple,  and  restoring  their  religion, 
with  all  its  typical  observances  and  moral  influence,  which  had 
ceased  during  their  captivity  at  Babylon  ;  that  this  people  with 
their  religion,  would  be  entirely  lost  among  the  pagan  nations. 
By  this  means,  he  hoped  to  prevent  the  coming  of  the  Messiah 
into  the  world ;  and  therefore  fought  against  all  impressions 
made  on  the  mind  of  Cyrus,  the  monarch  of  the  Persians,  by 
Michael,  Gabriel  and  other  spiritual  beings,  who  favored  the 
Jews  in  the  holy  enterprise.  And  this  is  what  is  meant,  when  it 
is  said  that  the  prince  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia  withstood  the 
glorious  anjjel  one  and  twenty  days,  which  was  exactly  the  num- 
ber of  days  which  Daniel  prayed  and  chastened  himself — and 
what  was  also  meant  by  his  saying,  "and  now  will  I  return  to 
fight  with  the  prince  of  Persia."  It  will  not  do  to  say,  in  order 
to  get  rid  of  the  being  of  those  spirits,  that  this  prince  of  Persia 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

was  Cyrus,  because  he  was  then  favorable  to  the  restoration  of 
the  Jews  and  their  religion,  and  had  given  orders  exceedingly- 
strict  and  broad,  about  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  the  city, 
temple,  &c.  This  glorious  angel  therefore,  who  said  he  would 
return  from  Daniel  to  fight  with  the  prince  of  Persia,  was  a  spir- 
it, and  meant  that  he  would  go  and  counteract  the  impressions 
of  this  evil  spirit  on  the  mind  of  Cyrus  and  his  people,  lest  the 
Jews  and  their  works  should  be  defeated.  [See  the  Plate.)  Can 
this  account  mean  anything  else  ?  if  it  does,  we  do  not  perceive  it. 

But  who  was  this  Michael,  called  one  of  the  chief  princes,  who 
aided  the  glorious  angel  in  his  labors  for  the  Jews  ;  was  he  of 
earth,  a  mere  man,  or  of  heaven,  a  spiritual  being?  St.  jude  set- 
tles this  question,  who  says,  "  Michael  the  arch  angel ;  who  con- 
tended with  the  devil  about  the  body  of  Moses,"  which  shows 
him  to  have  been  a  supernatural  being  or  he  could  not  have  thus 
contended  in  an  unseen  manner ;  for  if  Michael  and  this  being 
called  the  devil,  were  mere  men,  and  contended  respecting  what 
should  be  done  with  the  body  of  that  great  Jewish  legislator  ; 
the  Jews  would  have  known  this,  and  the  place  of  his  burial 
would  have  been  known  also,  which  the  Scripture  says,  is  un- 
known, and  that  the  Lord  buried  him.  See  Deut.  xxxiv.  5,  6. 
John  the  Revelator,  corroborates  St.  Jude  in  this  thing.  See 
chapter  xii.  7,  who  speaks  of  him  (Michael)  as  being  at  the  head 
of  those  angels  who  kept  their  first  estate  ;  who  stood  fast 
during  their  probation,  or  trial :  and  that  he,  with  his  angels 
fought  against  the  dragon  and  his  angels,  even  in  heaven  :  who 
were  cast  out ;  of  which  we  shall  more  fully  treat,  by  and  by. 

But  in  Hebrews,  ii.  6,  7,  there  is  an  account,  which  places 
this  subject  beyond  controversy,  as  both  the  natures  of  men  and 
angels  are  there  distinguished,  and  spoken  of,  allowing  one  to  be 
superior  to  the  other  ;  as  follows  :  "  What  is  man  that  thou  art 
mindful  of  him  ?  or  the  Son  of  man,  that  thou  visiteth  him  ? 
Thou  madest  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels  :  thou  crown- 
edst  him  with  glory  and  honor,  and  didst  set  him  over  the  works 
of  thy  hands."  The  term  man,  as  above  used,  stands  for  the 
whole  species.  But  if  the  beings,  called  angels — mentioned  in 
the  passage — are  said  to  be  above  the  race  of  man — which  is 
implied,  when  it  is  said  that  "  man  was  made  a  little  lower  than 
the  angels," — then  the  two  kinds  of  beings  are  distinct  from  each 
other,  in  their  very  natures ;  so  that  the  opinion  as  held  by 
many  Universalists, — namely :  that  the  term  angels,  as  used  in 
the  Scriptures,  is  always  restricted  to,  and  signifies  men,  messen- 
gers of  men,  and  no  more  :  falls  to  the  ground,  from  the  force  of 
that  one  passage  in  Hebrews,  while  it  is  corroborated  by  many 
others,  and  the  whole  sense  of  the  whole  Bible,  on  that  subject. 
The  words  of  Christ  himself  prove  this  doctrine,  beyond  all 
possible  contradiction.  See  Matthew  xxvi.  53,  where  the  ac- 
count of  his  apprehension  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane  is  given: 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES. 


103 


who  when  the  Jews  as  guided  by  Judas  came  rushing  upon  him. 
Peter  would  have  defended  him  with  a  sword,  when  he  said, 
that  he  could  pray  to  his  father  and  he  would  send  him  more 
than  twelve  legions  of  angels  to  defend  Irim  from  the  Jews  and 
all  his  enemies. 

Now  how  many  in  number  would  twelve  legions  amount  to  ? 
This  is  answered  by  ascertaining  what  was  meant  by  one  legion. 
The  term  legion  was  a  word  signifying  6000  soldiers  in  the  Ro 
man  armies  at  that  time.  This  number  multiplied  by  twelve 
amounts  to  seventy-two  thousands.  Now  if  the  Universalist  in- 
terpretation of  the  word  angel  is  to  be  relied  on,  as  restricted  by 
them  to  answer  their  purpose,  who  say  that  it  signifies  nothing 
more  than  men  who  are  messengers  either  of  God,  kings,  or 
assemblies  of  men — then  it  follows  that  at  that  very  time,  Christ 
could  have  commanded  an  army  of  at  least  seventy  two  thou- 
sand men  from  among  the  multitude  of  the  Jews,  Romans,  and 
other  people  then  in  Judea,  whicli  would  at  once  argue  him  a 
great  military  captain,  and  standing  at  the  head  of  an  immense 
banditti  in  the  very  heart  of  the  country.  This  would  contra- 
dict his  own  words  in  another  place ;  see  John  xviii.  36.  "  Jesus 
answered,  my  kingdom  is  not  of  (his  world ;  if  my  kingdom  were 
of  this  world,  then  would  my  sexvnnXs  fight,  that  I  should  not  be 
delivered  to  the  Jews." 

But  if  the  word  is  restricted  wholly  to  ministers  of  religion,  as 
Universal ists  generally  contend,  then  it  follows  that  Christ  told  a 
lie ;  for  at  that  very  time  all  the  Jewish  ministers  of  their  religion, 
together  with  the  very  few  of  the  Christian  system,  did  not 
amount  to  one  fourth  part  of  that  number.  But  if  it  be  still  re- 
stricted to  ministers  of  the  Christian  system,  as  then  but  just 
commenced ;  then  the  words  more  than  twelve  legions,  are  al- 
most without  any  meaning  at  all,  or  a  lie  is  told  of  the  most  ri- 
diculous character — even  exceeding  the  tales  of  the  Arabian 
Nights ;  as  it  is  impossible  to  make  out  over  one  hundred  and 
fifty  one.  including  both  seventies— companies  of  disciples  sent 
out  by  the  Saviour,  together  with  the  eleven  who  were  always 
with  him. 

It  appears  therefore  that  the  twelve  legions  of  angels  alluded 
to  by  the  Saviour,  were  not  men  of  the  earth,  but  were  of  the 
hosts  of  heaven,  altc  gether  of  a  supernatural  character,  not  be* 
longing  to  the  earth. 

But  now,  if  the  reader  believes  that  we  have  in  the  preceding 
pages,  on  this  subject,  established— first :  that  angels— such  as 
we  have  given  an  account  of— were  spirits  of  a  supernatural 
description;  and — second:  that  their  numbers  are  innumerable; 
and — third :  were  created  in  various  orders,  or  degrees  of  intel- 
lectual difference  ;  we  are  now  prepared  to  investigate  more  im- 
mediately the  origin  of  sin  and  cause  of  the  being  of  Satan  and 
ias  subordinate  devils,  or  fallen  angels. 

7 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 


Accounts  of  the  Voyages  of  the  first  Angels  far  into  Space  be- 
fore any  thing  was  created  but  themselves,  and  the  Mode  of 
their  Trial,  Nature  of  Mind,  fyc. 

In  pursuance  therefore  of  the  above  subject,  we  will  remind 
(he  reader  that  some  twenty  pages  above,  we  have  supposed  that 
the  first  angelic  beings  were  left  in  their  incipient  state,  to  con- 
jecture about  the  mystery  of  their  being;  and  that  various  and 
conflicting  opinions  on  that  subject,  must  have  arisen  among 
them :  and  however  greatly  any  number  of  them  may  have  ex- 
celled their  fellows  in  their  powers  of  mind,  yet  that  circumstance 
gave  no  advantage  in  penetrating  this  mystery,  because  as  yet 
there  had  been  no  clue,  no  revelation  on  the  subject  afforded 
them. 

But  in  proportion,  it  may  be  supposed,  to  the  amount  of  intel- 
lectual subtilty  possessed  by  any  finite  unfallen  being,  there  is 
always  manifested  a  corresponding  activity  in  the  business  of 
research,  in  relation  to  such  matters  as  occupy  their  powers  ;  on 
which  account  there  can  be  but  little  doubt,  that  after  all  was 
known,  that  could  be  known  in  their  congregated  condition,  in 
heaven ;  that  they  instituted  among  themselves  a  systematic 
mode  of  exploring;  other  tracts  of  space,  than  the  one  immediately 
comprehending  their  location.  But  whither  could  they  go  ?  to 
what  region  could  these  primeval  troops  direct  their  course  ?  as 
on  all  hands,  and  in  every  point  of  heaven's  compass,  darkness 
reigned  in  the  awful  distance.  There  was  no  light,  blackness 
deep  and  wide  as  immensity  itself,  reigned  through  boundless 
space.  There  were  no  sounds,  no  voice  of  any  creature  had 
broken  the  hitherto  eternal  silence.  There  was  no  heat,  nor 
cold,  wet  nor  dry,  all  was  a  boundless,  blank  eternity.  There 
were  no  suns  nor  moons,  stars  nor  constellations,  no  winds  mov- 
ing through  empty  space,  no  light  had  shed  a  ray  on  the  inter- 
minable vacuum,  except  that  of  the  home  of  the  angels,  where 
they  then  were,  which  was  light. itself.  There  was  no  ocean's 
roar,  no  tide  waters  rocked  as  now,  in  the  hollow  of  the  seas,  the 
cradle  of  the  floods ;  no  billows  dashing  against  mountains,  nor 
on  the  sands  and  stony  shores  of  continents;  no  rivers,  nor 
streams,  nor  fountains  of  waters;  no  forests,  herbage,  fishes, 
fowls,  nor  animal  life  of  any  land,  all  was  void,  deep  and  fathom- 
less nonentity. 

But  notwithstanding  this,  and  though  no  rumor  of  distant 
regions  had  reached  their  ear;  yet,  in  bands  and  cohorts,  they 
became  resolved  to  navigate  this  ocean  in  straight  lines,  starting 
out  from  their  heaven  as  their  centre,  and  continuing  their  res- 
pective courses,  till  they  should  wish  to  return  :  when "observing 
the  same  rule,  it  could  but  bring  them  back  to  the  same  point, 
and  prevent  their  being  forever  lost  in  the  wastes  of  boundless 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  107 

space.  Heaven's  inhabitants  now  having  arranged  themselves, 
such  as  were  of  the  number  of  the  adventurers,  soared  aloft,  for 
every  point  of  the  compass  from  that  first  centre,  was  up,  though 
opposite  directions  were  pursued,  they  were  nevertheless  per- 
pendicular ones.     (See  the  plate.) 

This  is  shown,  by  supposing  ourselves  on  the  sun,  which  is  the 
centre  of  our  planetary  system;  any  direction  from  the  sun  is  a 
perpendicular  direction,  as  the  sun  by  necessity  is  the  lowest  point 
in  the  solar  system.  Heaven,  therefore,  if  in  the  centre  of  the 
great  and  increasing  universe  of  God,  is  also  the  lowest  point  (re- 
latively speaking)  in  wide  creation  ;  from  which  it  follows  that 
any  direction  therefrom  is  a  perpendicular  direction.  Although 
in  this  sense,  heaven  is  the  lowest  point  in  the  universe  ;  yet  in 
moral  excellence  it  is  the  highest,  for  it  is  God's  throne — loca- 
tion, or  mere  position,  adds  no  excellence  to  any  being  or  place, 
it  is  moral  character  that  does  this.  On  this  account  it  is,  that 
God  is  said  to  look  down  from  heaven  upon  the  works  of  his 
hands. 

It  was  impossible  for  those  voyaging  angels  to  arrange  how 
long  should  be  their  journey,  as  there  then  existed  no  rule  by 
which  time  or  distance  could  be  measured;  as  day  and  night, 
arising  from  the  revolutions  of  globes,  and  systems  of  matter,  did 
not  then  exist,  as  signs  and  guides  in  this  respect.  Eternity  had 
not  yet  erected  her  time  piece,  by  which  she  is  cut  up  into  ages, 
periods,  years,  months,  weeks,  days,  hours,  minutes  and  seconds  ; 
their  own  feelings,  as  to  the  time  of  return,  was  their  only  guide. 

Now  heaven  was  bereft  in  part,  of  its  people,  as  the  journey- 
ing millions  shot  off  in  all  directions  of  heaven's  compass,  like 
dashes  of  fire  from  a  nucleus  of  light,  in  search  of  they  knew  not 
what,  as  they  could  form  no  idea  of  things,  or  of  beings,  of 
which  they  had  not  heard  or  seen;  yet  their  spirit  of  activity 
may  be  supposed  thus  to  have  exerted  itself.  But  how  far  these 
exploring  angels  penetrated  the  heights  of  boundless  space,  none 
can  tell ;  yet  perhaps  even  further  than  where  now  exists  the 
utmost  bounds  of  creation;  where  the  outermost  circles  of  sys- 
tems of  worlds  look  off  into  the  yet  boundless  and  yet  unexplored 
abyss  of  eternity,  save  by onmiscenee  itself;  but  without  having 
made  one  discovery,  except  that  there  was  no  end  to  nonentity, 
which  was  the  universal  report,  on  the  return  of  each  cohort, 
shouting  as  they  descended,  there  is  nothing,  nothing ,  beside 
ourselves  and  this  our  place  of  dwelling. 

But  on  account  of  this  void  condition  of  space,  are  we  to  sup- 
pose  the  angels  were  in  the  least  unhappy,  or  discontented?  not 
at  all ;  for  this  one  reason  :  it  is  not  possible  that  a  thought  of  the 
existence  of  what  is  now  called  matter,  as  distinguished  by  tangi- 
bility, could  have  entered  their  minds,  nor  ever  would  have  done 
so,  had  not  he  who  created  them,  at  such  times  as  seemed 
good  to  himself,  have  created  also  the  universe,  consisting  of 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

matter,  variously  modified  and  mingled  with  spirit,  and  furnish- 
ing occupancy  and  ground  of  improvement,  to  intellectual  beings. 
Is  it  possible  for  the  most  cultivated  of  the  race  of  man,  to  think 
of,  or  to  invent,  any  substance  dilferent  from  what  he  has  seen, 
heard  of,  and  known  to  exist,  or  to  add  a  single  first  principle  to 
trie  great  machine  of  nature,  that  could  be  of  any  use  ;  as  is  den- 
sity, divisibility,  gravity  or  attraction,  repulsion,  color,  heat,  cold, 
wet,  dry,  light,  darkness,  sensation,  nutrition,  sound,  &c.  ?  it  is 
impossible ;  we  can  conceive  of  no  possible  useful  addition  of  any 
first  principle.  Neither  could  the  angels  have  done  this,  more 
than  to  have  been  creators ;  they  were  not  capable  of  invention 
to  any  such  extent  as  to  be  able  to  make  improvements  on  their 
own  nature  ;  and  never  could  have  had  any  further  ideas  of  any 
tiling  beside  their  own  condition,  and  their  associate  circum- 
stances, had  not  the  Divine  Being  have  produced  a  tangible 
.state  of  things,  and  presented  it  to  them,  which,  when  done,"was 
a  revelation,  known  and  read  of  all. 

Man  knows  nothing,  absolutely  nothing,  in  and  of  himself ;  he 
cannot  originate  one  single  idea  without  help,  without  a  revela- 
tion of  some  kind  as  a  starting  point.  What,  therefore,  is  the 
mind  of  man  ?  we  cannot  tell ;  yet  we  may  say  it  is  a  being,  a 
creation  of  something,  capable  of  improvement  almost  to  infinity, 
yet,  without  knowledge^  or  even  thought,  till  revelation  comes 
to  its  rescue,  and  one  species  of  revelation  is  nature  as  now  de- 
veloped, with  all  its  first  principles.  That  instant  the  mind 
shoots  off  with  amazing  velocity,  in  its  course  of  improvement, 
outstripping  even  the  winds  and  the  lightnings,  in  its  pursuits  of 
knoweldge,  bounded  only  by  boundless  existence.  That  such 
is  the  vague  and  blank  character  oimind  in  the  abstract,  before 
it  feels  the  genial  rays  of  revelation,  is  shown  from  the  history  of 
the  late  mysterious  German  boy  Casper  Havser ;  who  it  seems. 
for  reasons  yet  unknown,  was  shut  up  in  a  place  so  small  as  not 
to  allow  him  even  from  infancy  to  the  age  of  about  sixteen  years, 
room  to  stand  up  in,  but  always  sitting  fiat  on  the  floor,  with  his 
legs  extended  out  before  him.  During  that  whole  time  he  had 
never  seen  light,  either  of  the  sun  nor  any  other  kind,  nor  heard 
the  voice  of  man,  nor  seen  his  shape,  nor  the  shape  of  anything 
else,  till  a  little  before  his  release  from  prison.  On  his  first  being 
ushered  into  light,  and  left  to  his  own  way,  he  seemed  to  hear, 
without  knowing  what  it  was,  to  see,  without  perceiving  or  know- 
ing it  was  sight,  and  to  move  his  feet  and  limbs,  without  knowing 
their  use — although  so  old — nor  ever  could  have  known,  had  he 
not  been  released  from  captivity.  His  language  consisted  only 
of  tears,  and  moans,  and  strange  inward  sounds,  though  soon 
after  his  release  from  prison  he  seemed  to  have  invented  two 
words,  which  rushed  out  spontaneously.  For  man,  the  word 
Bua,  whether  to  male  or  female,  old  or  young,  was  indiscrimi- 
nately applied ;  for  all  other  things,  whether  applied  to  animals, 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  109 

trees,  the  clouds,  or  whatever  struck  his  attention,  the  word  Roff, 
was  used.     After  he  had  received  in  part  an  education,  he  could 
not  recollect  anything  of  himself,  except  that  after  waking  from 
sleep,  there  was  always  bread  and  water  by  his  side ;  articles 
which  he  afterwards  learned   to  distinguish   by  those  names. 
But  to  prove  that  his  mind  was  totally  vacant,  and  without  any 
ideas,  and  would  always  have  remained  thus,  if  he  had  not  bcen 
released ;  it  is  said  of  him  that  he  never  dreamed  anything,  till 
after  his  enlargement  and  acquaintance  with  things,     for  a 
particular  account  in  detail  of  this  singular  affair,  and  of  the 
death  of  the  lad,  see  Penny  Magazine,  part  23,  No.  118, 1834. 
Such  is  the  mind  of  man.  till  the  light  of  circumstances  and 
association  is  poured  upon  it,  when  it  rouses  into  strength  and 
activity,  seizes  upon  surrounding  circumstances,  with  all  its  per- 
ception, which  progress  on  from  sight,  touch  and  taste,  to  com- 
parison, and   from   thence  to  knowledge  and  understanding; 
displayed  in  arrangement  without  end.     In  some  such  predica- 
ment, we  may  suppose,  the  angels  were  created,  and  that  the 
greatness  of  their  minds,  over  and  above  what  man  is  found  to 
possess,  did  not  consist  at  first,  so  much  in  a  knowledge  of  a 
multitude  of  things,  as  in  their  capability  to  receive,  to  improve, 
to  understand,  and  to  enjoy  more  abundantly,  when  the  Creator 
should  call  their  capacities  into  a  more  spacious  field  of  labor, 
and  investigation.     On  which  account,  it  is  said  in  Scripture, 
that  the  angels  excel  in  strength ;  which  strength,  we  understand 
to  be  wholly  of  an  intellectual  description.     And  that  man  was 
made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels — that  is  :  with  less  power  of 
mental  and  moral  improvement — in  this  state  of  things  ;  while 
the  angels  were  created  higher  in  that  respect,  in  their  first  out- 
set of  existence,  inculcates  the  same  opinion. 

We  may  therefore  call  this  state  of  the  angels — before  the 
Creator  revealed  himself  to  them,  either  by  appearance  or  by 
works — their  incipient,  or  commencing  condition,  and  preceded 
the  beginning  of  their  state  of  trial,  or  probation.  A  state  of  trial, 
or  probation,  was  not  instituted  toward  Adam,  except  by  revealed 
laic :  so  as  to  mark  out,  and  require  the  observance,  and  obed- 
ience to  such  law.  Had  our  first  parents  have  been  left  without 
a  revealed  law,  with  its  penalty,  they  never  could  have  passed 
through  a  probationary  state,  and  consequently  could  never  have 
been  cither  praise  or  blame  worthy,  nor  been  placed  in  a  situa- 
tion in  which  they  could  have  evinced,  by  any  act  whatever,  the 
native  condition  of  their  spirits  :  but  would  have  been  left  in  an 
indifferent,  insipid,  and  irresponsible  state  of  being — forever 
precluded  from  opportunity  of  improvement,  above  any  other 
animal  of  the  globe,  whose  laws  of  appetite  are  mere  instinct. 

But  as  it  respects  those  first  spirits,  we  believe  it  was  somewhat 
different ;  and  that  they  were  introduced  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
important  fact  of  the  possession  of  moral  free  agency,  and  that 


1  LO  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

they  had  original  power  and  ability  to  choose  gocd  or  evil, 
without  any  intimation  of  penalties — as  was  man's  case.  The 
simple  requirement  of  love  and  obedience  toward  the  Creator, 
without  naming  psnalties,  was  doubtless  sufficient,  and  as  much 
as  could  have  been  consistent  in  their  case :  because  of  their 
superior  intellectual  state  above  that  of  Adam  and  Eve.  On  this 
account  therefore,  it  would  have  been  proper,  and  doubtless  was 
the  fact,  for  the  Divine  Being  to  have  kept  them  in  ignorance 
of  the  consequences  of  delinquency,  or  of  failure,  so  that  their 
obedience  should  proceed  solely  from  pure  principle  and  love — 
free  unassisted  love,  unmixed  with  dread,  or  allusion  to  penal- 
ties, or  any  such  thing. 

Had  the  angels,  who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  have  known 
that  to  sin,  or  to  become  opposed  to  the  commands  of  Him  who 
claimed  to  be  their  Creator,  would  inevitably  plunge  them  into 
irretrievable  damnation — which  damnation  would  consist  in  the 
change  and  entire  obliteration  of  their  characters,  as  virtuous 
and  holy  beings :  as  well  as  added  thereto,  there  should  follow  a 
ceaseless  state  of  penal  tormenting  suffering — they  never  would 
have  sinned  from  pure  selfishness.  On  such  a  base  as  this,  we 
may  easily  perceive,  that  holiness  and  true  virtue,  could  not  sub- 
sist ;  as  that  which  they  would  have  done  under  such  circum- 
stances, would  have  been  far  enough  from  being  the  result  of 
pure  principle  and  love  to  God,  or  love  of  righteousness,  for 
righteousness  sake — but  of  selfishness. 

But  before  it  could  have  been  possible  for  them  to  have  begun 
to  form  their  characters,  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  receive  law 
from  a  competent  source ;  but  that  law  must  have  been  without 
a  promise  of  reward,  or  threat  of  punishment :  so  that  a  free  and 
perfect  exhibition  of  what  they  would  do,  as  the  creatures  of 
God,  might  appear  as  well  to  themselves,  as  to  the  Divine  Being. 
This  course  would  greatly  enhance  their  happiness,  when  they 
should  come  to  know  how  dreadful  a  thing  it  is  to  sin  against 
God :  as  their  reflections  would  be,  that  they  had  acted  from 
pure  principle,  unbiased  by  promise  of  reward,  or  threat  of  pun- 
ishment. 

But  in  Adam's  case  it  was  not  improper,  nor  inconsistent  to 
make  the  law  of  obedience,  in  relation  to  'penalty  and  reward ; 
because  his  grade  of  intellectual  being,  was  of  a  lower  order  than 
the  angels,  that  it  might  exert  its  influence  on  his  mind,  by  pro- 
ducing fear.  He  was  therefore  placed  in  the  neighborhood  of 
solicitude  to  obey,  not  only  from  a  desire  to  please  God,  in  his 
love  of  virtue  from  pure  principle,  but  also  to  avoid  death — the 
amount  and  nature  of  which,  he  no  doubt  well  understood — or 
it  could  have  been  of  no  force  or  influence  on  his  mind,  nor  that 
of  his  companion  :  and  of  course  of  no  moral  use.  Under  such 
a  view  of  the  case,  it  is  natural  to  enquire — how  is  it  that  the 
angels -cannot  be  supposed  to  have  been  under  a  law  which 


ANGELS'  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  Ill 

threatened  punishment  and  promised  rewards,  without  incurring 
to  themselves,  the  eharacter  of  acting  on  selfish  principles: 
while  at  the  same  time  we  argue  that  Adam  and  Eve  could  act 
under  such  a  law,  and  yet  go  clear  of  this  charge  ?  The  solu- 
tion consists  simply  in  the  difference  between  the  natures  and 
moral  abilities  of  the  two  sorts  of  beings  ;  so  that  it  was  an  equal 
administration  in  God  to  make  this  difference  ;  and  yet  the 
actions  of  each  go  clear  of  the  baleful  charge  of  unrighteous  sel- 
fishness ;  as  pure  obedience,  after  all,  under  both  conditions, 
was  all  thai  was  required. 

But  if  the  position  still  appears  paradoxical,  we  will  illustrate 
it  by  the  following  simile: — A  child  obeys  its  father  when  it  is 
commanded  and  enforced  by  threat  or  promise;  as  without  such 
command,  it  knows  not  what  to  do.  But  a  man  being  higher  in 
intellectual  improvement,  will  obey  from  his  own  knowledge  of 
what  his  father  wishes  to  have  done,  without  this  threat  and 
promise ;  both  having  the  character  of  unalienated  children — 
so  in  the  case  of  Adam  and  the  angels. 

In  relation  to  the  angels,  it  appears  to  us  of  momentous  pro 
priety  that  they  should  have  been  left  awhile  purely  to  them- 
selves, without  any  law,  or  any  knowledge  of  a  Creator,  as  that 
from  such  a  condition,  a  preparation  to  receive  law,  and  com- 
mand, could  be  produced,  which  would  arise  from  the  various 
conclusions  on  any  and  all  subjects  within  the  reach  of  their 
condition,  yet  without  sin  :  as  to  disagree,  sentimentally  and  vir- 
tuously, implies  no  moral  or  depraved  defect  in  their  being,  or 
constitution  of  spirit.  But  the  Divine  Being  intended  soon  to  re- 
veal himself,  and  to  give  them  a  standard  of  action,  as  a  guide 
to  their  various  and  exalted  powers,  by  claiming  to  himself  su- 
preme authority  and  direction. 

Can  it  be  supposed  that  the  Divine  Being  could  not  have  con- 
sistently withheld  a  knowledge  of  his  own  being  from  those  first 
spirits,  as  long  as  to  him  might  have  seemed  good  ;  by  what  ar- 
gument does  it  appear,  that  of  necessity  he  must  immediately  be 
known  to  beings  which  he  has  or  may  create  ?  None  that  we 
know  of.  If  angels  and  men  may  know  more  and  more  of  the 
Divine  Being,  the  longer  they  exist,  it  follows  that  at  first  they 
must  have  known  nothing  at  all,  as  there  must  have  been  a  com- 
mencement of  such  knowledge,  and  previous  to  that  commence- 
ment, were  it  but  a  moment,  yet  even  a  moment  is  a  time,  and 
gains  the  point,  as  a  principle  aHeast,  of  a  condition  which  pre- 
ceded the  knowledge  of  law,  by  a  direct  revelation. 

But  it  is  said  by  some,  that  in  the  oase  of  Adam  there  was  a 
law,  in  his  very  nature,  written  on  his  heart,  that  required  him 
to  love  G  >d,  and  that  this  law  preceded  the  law  of  trial,  respect 
ing  the  forbidden  tree.  Had  this  been  true,  this  law  must  have 
1  inactive  and  without  application,  until  it  was  known  to 
Adam  that  there  was  a  God  to  love,  who,  when  he  knew,  he 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

loved,  from  the  very  nature  of  himself ;  not  being  then  depraved 
as  are  his  descendants  at  the  present  time,  and  are  the  natural 
enemies  of  God. 

But  we  disallow  such  a  circumstance  to  be  a  law  at  all,  other- 
wise than  the  nature  of  anything  which  has  been  created,  whe- 
ther spirits  or  animals,  or  mere  matter,  may  be  said  to  consist 
after  some  mode,  and  that  the  mode  of  their  consistency  is  the 
law  of  their  natures.  Were  this  so,  there  were  no  freedom  of 
action,  deviation  from  rectitude,  in  this  way,  is  made  impossible, 
as  nature,  or  nature's  principles,  as  produced  by  the  Divine 
Power  cannot  and  never  did  err.  When  we  speak  of  anything 
which  has  been  created,  whether  it  is  spirit  or  matter,  it  is  com- 
mon to  conceive  that  it  consist  after  some  fashion  or  manner ; 
but  is  it  right  to  say  that  its  fashion,  or  manner  of  consistency,  is  a 
laic  1  By  no  means,  as  all  that  can  be  properly  said  on  the  sub- 
ject is  that  so  and  so  is  its  nature  and  not  its  law. 

Though  Adam  and  Eve,  as  well  as  angels,  were  created  pure 
and  good  by  the  Divine  Being,  yet  this  cannot  prove  that  such  a 
circumstance  shows  them  to  have  instantly,  or  as  it  were  by  in- 
tuition, known  God,  any  more  than  any  thing  else  could  know 
and  admire  its  Creator  by  intuition. 

Law  forever  supposes  the  possibility  of  violation  ;  but  fixed 
principles  in  nature  never  go  astray,  because  they  have  no  free- 
dom of  the  kind,  and  cannot  err,  and  are  not  therefore  subject  to 
moral  law.  If  it  be  said  the  law  was  written  on  the  heart  of 
Adam  and  of  angels  at  first,  to  love  God,  yet  this  does  not  prove 
that  they  instantly  knew  him  ;  but  it  proves  they  were  capaci 
tated  to  love  him  so  soon  as  they  should  know  him ;  and  how 
could  they  kncno  him  till  he  revealed  or  manifested  himself  in 
some  manner  or  other  as  should  please  him.  We  therefore  per- 
ceive no  inconsistency  in  supposing  that  the  angels  were  at  first 
left  awhile  without  revealed  law,  as  well  as  Adam  and  Eve,  who 
were  certainly  thus  dealt  with  ;  for  he  did  not  receive  the  law  till 
some  time  after  his  creation  ;  not  till  Eve  was  created  and  both 
of  them  shown  how  to  till  and  dress  the  garden  :  when,  or  soon 
thereafter,  the  L»w  of  Paradise  was  given  them.  On  account  of 
this  delay,  we  are  sure  that  Adam  knew  nothing  either  of  God  or 
his  law  till  sometime  after  his  creation ;  during  which  time,  his 
thoughts  and  the  thoughts  of  Eve,  were  occupied  with  them- 
selves and  the  objects  which  were  presented  to  their  senses,  as  it 
was  not  possible  that  their  thoughts  could  extend  to  any  thing 
further  till  a  further  revelation  should  be  given  them. 

Such  a  procedure  on  the  part  of  God,  placed  him  in  a  consis- 
tent position  to  give  law  to  the  angels,  (as  well  as  to  Adam  and 
Eve.)  and  to  receive  their  fealty  and  love,  bringing  all  their  vari- 
ous powers  into  an  agreement  with  each  other,  and  directing 
their  energies  toward  himself,  the  centre  of  all  moral  happiness. 
It  is  announced  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  was  the  creator  of  angels, 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  113 

in  the  New  Testament,  that  he  is  "  meek  and  lowly  in  heart,"  on 
which  account,  to  us,  there  appears  an  exceeding  beauty  and 
agreement  with  such  a  disposition  of  mind,  shown  in  withhold- 
ing from  the  angels  a  knowledge  of  his  existence,  till  such  time 
as  he  should  propose  himself  to  them  ;  but  in  such  a  way  and 
manner  as  should  not  astovnd  them  with  the  majesty  of  his  glo- 
ry,  and  at  the  same  time  give  evidence  in  a  degree  of  the  right 
of  his  claim,  as  being  God  over  all;  inviting,  not  compelling 
their  love,  obedience  and  adoration.  To  us  it  appears  a  material 
point  in  the  divine  government,  that  he  should  not  astovnd  his 
subjects  on  trial,  with  an  overxchelming  amount  of  evidence  in 
relation  to  any  thing  he  may,  or  has  required  their  acknowledg- 
ment of;  but  rather  to  give  that  quantum  of  evidence  to  their 
consideration  which  shall  exactly  harmonise  with  their  degree  of 
intelligence,  liberty  and  free  agency.  Otherwise  than  this,  there 
could  be  no  trial,  no  probation,  no  matter  of  choice,  whether  they 
would  accede  or  not;  free  agency  would  be  out  of  the  question, 
as  no  room,  under  such  circumstances,  could  be  found  for  its  ex- 
ercise, as  the  whole  influence  of  such  a  procedure  would  be  ab- 
solute compulsion. 

To  illustrate  this  conclusion,  we  will  suppose  that  at  the  time 
of  our  Saviour's  advent  among  men,  there  had  accompanied  him 
at  his  birth  myriads  of  the  angels  of  heaven,  who  should  have 
visibly  encamped  round  about  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  holding 
continual  and  intimate  intercourse  with  all  the  citizens  during 
the  whole  period  of  his  sojourn  among  the  Jews,  who  should 
have  continually  declared,  this  is  your  Messiah,  this  is  he  who 
was  to  come — the  Messiah  foretold  by  Moses  and  all  the  prophets 
— this  is  the  seed  of  the  woman  who  is  to  bruise  the  serpent's 
head — the  Son  of  the  Living  God — the  Messiah  of  your  expecta- 
tion. Under  such  a  state  of  evidence  in  relation  to  the  identity 
of  the  Messiah,  it  could  not  be  said  that  they  had  believed  freely, 
and  of  their  own  mind^,  by  comparing  Scripture  with  his  works 
and  claims,  and  thus  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  and  thus  consti- 
tute true  faith.  Would  not  such  a  course  have  been  in  the  high- 
est degree  compulsory ;  so  thai  the  free  exercise  of  free  agency, 
in  its  untramelled  purity,  on  that  subject,  would  have  been  im- 
possible. Had  our  Lord  compelled  by  such  a  course,  as  above 
described,  or  by  any  other  irrisistil  !e  way,  mankind  to  lelievein 
him,  would  it  have  been  consistent  with  man's  free  agency?  if  so 
it  would  have  been  done.  But  as  it  was  not  consistent,  it  was 
not  done.  The  mode  of  Gods  government,  it  seems,  cannot  ad- 
mit of  such  a  procedure,  as  it  would  at  once  neutralise  the  high- 
est and  most  beautiful  trait  of  the  natures  of  both  nun  and  an- 
gels, which  is  their  free  agi  ney,  the  very  trait  which  distinguish- 
es them  from  all  the  oiher  works  of  (Sod,  and  furnishes  intellec- 
tual moral  existence  with  all  iis  value.  Without  this,  I  oth  n  en 
and  angels  would  be  but  mental  machines  without  mental  liberty, 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

going-  round  and  round,  exactly  as  acted  upon,  having  no  self- 
del  ermining  power  ;  not  choosing  or  refusing  any  thing  of  them- 
selves, and  would  demonstrate  that  the  Divine  Being  is  the  only 
free  mental  actor  in  the  universe.  If  such  were  the  case,  how- 
ever great  the  errors  of  any  of  his  creatures  might  be,  such  er- 
rors could  not  be  treated  as  5 in ;  as  their  acts,  their  thoughts, 
and  even  their  designs,  and  the  spirit  in  which  they  performed 
them,  would  owe  their  origin,  operations  and  strength  to  God,  on 
account  of  the  lack  oifree  agency.  On  such  a  hypothesis  the 
system  of  Christianity  is  not  called  for,  as  there  can  be  nothing  to 
be  redeemed,  unless  we  go  about  to  show  that  He  who  acts  upon 
all  actors  irresistibly,  has  so  acted  upon  our  race,  that  the  results 
are  ruinous  and  need  repair,  which  idea  is  monstrous  and  absurd. 

Bat  this  is  not  the  case,  this  cannot  be  ;  free  agency  does  exist 
in  the  minds  of  men  and  angels,  and  is  the  inost  beautiful  trait 
of  the  operations  of  the  Divine  Hand  that  we  are  acquainted 
with ;  which  beautiful  trait  he  regards  with  the  most  consummate 
delicacy,  as  he  will  not,  and  doe^  not  force  it ;  which  if  he  did 
would  at  once  nullify  and  render  void  the  operation  of  his  own 
creative  wisdom  as  shown  in  the  constitution  of  the  very  repre- 
sentatives of  his  own  intellectual  image,  that  of  men  and  angels. 
Here  then  the  awful  secret,  if  secret  it  may  be  called,  is  announ- 
ced why  men  and  some  angels  have  fallen  from  their  first  estate  ; 
which  indeed  appears  impossible  even  for  the  Divine  Being  to 
have  prevented,  without  his  having  first  taken  away  and  des- 
troyed this  amazing  power.  If  this  had  been  done,  it  would 
have  been  the  same  as  to  uncreate  in  part,  the  most  glorious  of 
the  operations  of  the  hand  of  the  Divine  Being,  and  would  have 
been  confusion,  which  cannot  be  admitted.  Here,  in  our  esti- 
mation, turns  the  grand  point  of  human  or  angelic  accountability 
as  it  would  appear  to  be  beyond  the  consistent  power,  even  of 
the  Deity,  to  compel  any  of  his  intellectual  creatures  to  the  ob- 
servance of  himself  or  laws  ;  as  compulsion,  in  this  department 
of  his  works,  that  of  intellect,  is  not  to  be  controlled  by  any  cause 
whatever,  whether  by  direct  power,  object,  or  any  thing  else ; 
were  it  not  so,  sin  among  men,  could  not  take  place  any  more 
than  among  the  cattle  of  the  mountains.  And  because  Univer- 
salists  do  not  believe  in  man's  absolute  free  agency,  is  their  rea- 
son for  denying  the  existence  of  absolute  moral  evil  or  sin,  and 
contend  that  sin  is  merely  a  relative  evil,  existing  only  between 
man  and  mm,  and  upon  the  whole  is  for  the  best. 

Miy  it  not  therefore  be  said,  free  agency  is  a  dangerous  quali- 
fication ;  if  so,  we  can  only  reply,  that  without  it  there  can  be 
neither  mjn  nor  angels,  as  this  qualification  is  essential  to  their 
very  being"  as  rational  creatures;  without  it  there  could  be  no 
clivio  !  nnrtl  govern  milt,  adiptcd  as  now  to  the  powers  of  free 
a  i  '  its,  1  1  ■  whole  universe  of  rational  conscious  existi)ne^;  would 
be  but  a  splendid  machine,  not  a  whit  however,  more  splendid 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  115 

or  more  to  be  admired  than  any  and  all  the  other  grades  of  ani- 
mated nature.     Without  it,  the  whole  system  of  accountability, 

as  taught  by  Christianity,  falls  to  the  ground  ;  vice  as  vice,  and 
virtue  as  virtue  are  extinct ;  even  the  idea  of  a  God,  as  the  go- 
vernor of  intellectual  beings,  seems  not  called  for,  and  if  not  called 
for,  goes  far  in  support  of  the  most  horrid  of  all  ideas,  which  is 
Atheism. 

That  the  whole  moral  and  natural  universe  of  God,  and  his 
administration  of  law,  or  government  over  them,  is  but  a  great 
and  multiform  machine,  which  never  has,  nor  never  can  move 
wrong,  and  that  all  and  singular,  from  the  greatest  to  the  small 
est  transaction,  whether  it  is  the  effortsofthe  most  exalted  mind, 
which  God  has  made,  or  the  accidental  movement  of  the  least 
particle  of  matter  in  creation  ;  is  comprehended  in  the  move 
ments  of  this  machine  :  is  believed   and  contended  for  by  the 
most  refined  and  best  instructed  Universalists  of  the  age.     If  this 
were  true,  we  do  not  wonder  that  they  have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  there  is  not  in  existence,  nor  ever  can  be  absolvle  moral 
evil,  or  sin.     Hence  they  teach  that  sin,  relatively  so  called,  is 
not  upon  the  whole,  amoral  evil,  but  a  good  :  and  was  so  intend- 
ed by  the  Creator.     On  this  view  they  deny  the  fall  of  man- 
as  held  by  the  orthodox  sects  ;  and  of  necessity,  they  also  deny 
an  expiatory  atonement,  made  toward  God  in  the  death  of  Jesus 
Christ,  for  the  sins  of  the  world ;  upon  the  heels  of  which,  spir- 
itual regeneration,  by  them  is  taught  to  be  of  no  importance,  or 
a  matter  of  mere  fancy.     Were  this  the  true  state  of  the  case, 
we  cannot  perceive  how  sin  exists  at  all  ;  as  that  which  is  best 
upon  the  whole,  is  also  best  in  all  its  parts  :  and  he  who  teaches 
that  sin  exists  under  stick  circumstances,  publishes  a  libel  on  the 
operation  of  God's  great  machine — destroys   the   possibility  of 
i\ee  agency,  or  of  human  responsibility,  either  to  God,  or  to  one 
another.     For  if  whatever  we  do  or  think,  is  but  the  moving  on 
of  this  great  machine — as  God  has  designed— then  who  is  he 
that  has  erred  since  the  world  began,  in  thought,  word,  or  deed. 
Though  men  behave  never  so  absurdly,  and  abominably  toward 
each  other,  yet  this  is  known  of  Gcd,  as  the  very  thing  he  wished 
should  be  effected  by  his  machine,  with  a  view  to  the  gocd  of  the 
gn-at  whole  ;  where  then  is  there  room  to  find  fault,  or  for  the 
existence  of  relative  sin,  or  moral  evil?    we  declare  without  fear 
<>!'  being  refuted— that  there  is  none  ;  as  the  whole  operation  of 
universal  nature,  both  in  physics  and  morals,  is  resolved  into  the 
horrid  idea  of/ate:  which  destroys  the  idea  of  a  Gcd  governing 
a  universe  of  intellectual  beings,  according  to  character;   and 
would  be  equally  well  governed,  without  any  Cod  at  all ;    as  fate 
cannot  err,  having  in  its  nature  no  optional  powers  whatever. 
There  is  nothing  in  existence  which  has  1  een  created,  that  may 
not  be  said  to  be  an  agent :  and  is  either  a  free  age  at,  or  a  711a- 
chlne  agent.     All  mailer,  belongs  to  the  ehuss  which  may  be 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

denominated,  machine  agents  ; — all  spirits,  which  are  intellec- 
tual and  rational,  belong  to  the  class  of  free  agents.  But  it  is 
impossible  to  constitute  a  free  rational  agent,  so  as  to  empower  it 
to  do  morally  right,  without  the  accompanying  qualification  of  a 
power  to  do  morally  wrong;  and  one  is  as  free  as  the  other; 
otherwise  the  thing  itself  cannot  be.  The  idea  of  intellectual 
free  agency,  cannot  be  separated  from  the  idea  of  reason  and 
will ;  powers  which  agree  together,  in  making  out  a  free  agent : 
but  are  not  required  in  making  out  a  ?nachine  agent. 

To  deny  therefore,  that  there  is  any  such  qualification  belong- 
ing to  men  or  angels,  as  free  agency — which  is  the  power  of 
choice  between  objects — is  to  say  that  the  Divine  Being  cannot, 
or  has  not  ascended  in  the  exercise  of  his  power  and  wisdom, 
above  the  production  of  mere  brutes,  which  are  not  capable  of 
moral  good  or  evil,  and  shamefully  retrenches  the  unlimited 
ability  of  God,  in  the  consistent  exercise  of  his  power.  It  is 
well  written  by  the  Rev.  Timothy  Merritt,  in  his  Strictures  on 
Hosea  Bailouts  "  Treatise  on  Atonement" — that  "mankind 
could  not  be  accountable  for  their  volitions  and  actions,  if  they 
were  not  free  ;  for  if  their  actions  are  not  free,  they  are  not 
their  own,  but  His,  whose  will  influences  and  determines 
them.  Nor  will  that  account  of  the  freedom  of  the  will,  which 
Ballon,  and  some  others  give,  mend  the  matter  ;  who  teach  that 
all  our  liberty  consists  in  being  free  to  choose  what  is  ?nost 
agreeable  to  us. 

But  on  this  supposition,  the  unregenerated  sinner  would 
choose,  that  is,  icould  be  impelled  on  in  a  course  of  disobedience 
by  his  evil  propensities,  without  having  it  in  his  power  to  make 
the  least  resistance,  or  to  abstain  from  one  sinful  action.  In  this 
case  therefore,  he  would  have  no  liberty,  he  would  be  under  an 
absolute  necessity  of  choosing  and  acting  as  he  does.  Such  an 
one  might  be  the  object  of  pity,  as  the  most  unfortunate  creature 
in  the  world :  but  surely  he  could  not  be  blamed  in  any  sense. 
This  would  take  away  all  the  turpitude  of  sin,  from  the  sinner, 
and  fix  it  on  Him  whose  will,  however  remotely,  governs  all  the 
creature's  volitions  and  actions. 

The  curious  notion  of  Ballou,  and  of  some  others,  on  human 
moral  liberty,  which  is,  that  men  are  free  only  to  choose  that 
which  is  most  agreeable  to  them,  may  be  illustrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing similie:  a  fish  is  free  to  swim  in  the  water,  as  it  cannot 
do  so  in  any  other  way  ;  it  is  free  to  stay  in  the  water,  because 
it  cannot  very  well  get  out.  A  tree  grows  with  its  top  towards 
the  zenith,  instead  of  its  roots,  because  it  is  impossibte  for  it  to 
grow  in  any  other  way.  Now  this  is  a  wonderful  picture  of  hu- 
man liberty,  as  held  by  Universalists  ;  yet  it  is  a  true  picture,  if 
men  cannot  do  that  only  which  is  most  agreeable  to  them. 

But  says  the  objector,  I  still  contend  thai  no  human  soul  can 
choose  that  which  it  does  not  choose.     Well  suppose  he  cant 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  117 

choose  that  which  he  does  not  choose,  yet  you  cannot  deny  but 
he  may  do  that  which  he  does  not  choose  to  do,  and  that 
men  do  often,  in  virtue  of  this  power,  many  things  which  are  not 
according  to  their  best  interests,  and  of  course  contrary  to  their 
most  rational  choice.  Now  the  whole  course  of  a  sinful  world , 
is  a  course  of  mental  perversion  ;  in  which  all  sinful  actions 
are  not  according  to  man's  best  rational  choice  :  yet  they  do  many- 
things  contrary  to  their  better  reason,  or  better  choice  ;  but 
were  they  not  free  agents,  men  could  never  do  this,  as  the  high- 
est reason  for  an  act  of  any  kind,  would  always  preponderate  in 
favor  of  its  being  done,  and  would  inevitably  secure  its  perform- 
ance. But  free  agency  secures  the  power  of  doing  that  which 
men  do  not  choose,  as  well  as  that  which  they  do  :  or  free  agency 
does  not  exist  at  all. 

The  notion  of  being  only  able  to  choose  that  which  seems 
most  agreeable — as  Universalists  believe — puts  the  cause  of  such 
choice  in  the  thing  chosen ;  which  thing,  is  therefore,  the  agent, 
the  acting  agent;  while  the  person  having  the  mind,  is  passive- 
ly compelled  to  accept :  and  destroys  all  idea  of  human  liberty, 
or  ability  of  choice,  in  the  receiver ;  and  is  no  more  an  agent  in 
the  matter,  than  a  tree  is  an  agent  when  it  is  the  mark  lor  the 
bullet  of  the  shooter.  There  is  a  power  in  man,  by  which  he 
can  do  that  which  he  does  not  choose  to  do,  both  negatively  and 
affirmatively.  All  that  class  of  actions  which  men  perform,  that 
are  contrary  and  disagreeable  to  the  senses,  are  proofs  that  he 
does  often  act  contrary  to  that  which  appears  most  agreeable. 
Self-murder,  for  instance,  a  crime  the  most  abhorent  to  sensation 
and  reason,  is  often  committed ;  though  the  love  of  life  is  the 
strongest  passion  of  animal  existence :  and  can  never  be  per- 
petrated from  choice — based  on  the  expectation  of  an  immediate 
or  remote  benefit,  except  in  one  or  two  cases,  and  these  are :  when 
a  person  who  is  sick  of  life,  and  believes  in  the  immediate  annihi- 
lation of  his  mind,  or  in  an  immediate  transition  of  that  mind  to 
a  happy  state  with  God  in  eternity,  as  do  the  Universalists ; 
either  of  whom  might  commit  in  such  cases  even  self-murder, 
as  all  reason  why  they  should  not,  is  taken  away  :  and  the  only 
reason  why  suicides  do  not  prevail  among  that  people,  when  in 
trouble,  is  because  they  do  not  in  the  most  unbounded  sense  of 
the  word  trust  to  that  belief,  or  else,  because  they  are  in  no  hurry 
to  exchange  the  pleasures  of  sin  and  animal  happiness  for  the 
company  of  God  and  the  joys  of  heaven. 

It  is  of  no  importance  for  the  Universalist.s  to  resist  this  conclu- 
sion, from  a  pretended  submission  to  evil,  on  account  of  its  being 
probably  the  host  on  the  great  whole,  according  to  their  belief: 
as  there  is  no  man  of  such  mighty  moral  patriotic  feelings,  who 
will  sacrifice  his  own  immediate  happiness  for  such  a  reason, 
when  he  knows  it  is  within  his  own  power  to  relieve  himself  by 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

suicide,  and  enter  into  happiness — or  at  least  into  a  state  of  insen- 
sibility. It  is  of  no  avail  to  insist  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  will 
of  God,  the  order  of  nature,  or  to  the  natural  sensations,  for  one 
to  lay  violent  hands  upon  his  own  life  and  destroy  it ;  tor  Uni- 
versalists  hold,  that  every  volition  of  man  is  required  by  the 
Divine  Being — and  that  we  act  from  necessity.  To  endure 
evil,  therefore,  has  no  virtue  in  it ;  for  if,  in  any  vmy,  we  can 
relieve  ourselves,  it  is  our  duty  to  do  so — and  if  we  cannot  re- 
lieve ourselves,  but  are  compelled  to  endure  it,  where  is  the 
virtue  of  patience?  Would  Job  have  done  a  foolish  act,  if  he 
iiad  killed  himself,  in  the  midst  of  his  sorrows,  instead  of  endu- 
ring ?  we  think  not ;  except  such  an  act  would  have  prejudiced 
his  happiness  after  death ;  and  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  he 
would  have  done  so,  had  he  been  a  Universalist ;  as  that  course 
which  promises  the  greatest  and  most  immediate  happiness,  must 
of  necessity,  according  to  Ballon,  who  holds  that  men  act  from 
the  greatest  motive,  have  produced  such  an  end  to  Job.  But  Job 
knowing  full  well,  that  if  he  should  kill  himself,  he  wTould  secure 
his  own  misery  in  another  world ;  for  he  was  not  ignorant  that,  a 
murderer  hath  not  eternal  life  abiding  in  him.  Had  he  be- 
lieved as  Universalists  believe,  that  the  resurrection,  after  the 
soul  and  body  had  bleached  in  the  earth  many  ages,  would  bring 
him  up  again,  in  a  state  of  purity  and  holiness ;  wrould  he  not 
have  killed  himself,  rather  than  to  live  a  few  short  days,  even 
though  he  could  have  foreknown  the  prosperity  which  after- 
wards smiled  upon  the  residue  of  his  years?  We  think  he 
would — as  no  possible  evil  could  have  befel  him,  had  he  taken 
such  a  course ;  while  an  immediate  relief  from  a  state  of  the 
most  horrid  sufferings,  would  have  ensued ;  if  the  Universalist 
opinion  about  the  immunities  of  the  resurrection  is  true,  and  that 
there  is  no  suffering  on  account  of  sin  to  the  wicked  after  this 
life,  then  he  may  have  put  an  end  to  his  days  with  impunity; 
while  no  principle  in  morals  could  condemn  him  for  having  so 
done. 

Men  have  power  to  do  acts  when  not  necessitated,  which  pro- 
mise no  immediate  nor  remote  pleasure,  but  the  contrary,  with 
augmenting  evil  influence  and  perpetuity.  Who  can  deny  but 
a  man  can  do  as  much  by  will  as  he  can  by  accident.  By  acci- 
dent, a  man  may  set  on  fire  the  treasures  of  his  only  and  best 
friend  ;  and  is  it  impossible  for  him  to  do  so,  even  if  he  does  not 
desire  it?  does  the  circumstance  of  his  want  of  desire  to  do  so 
great  a  mischief,  deprive  him  of  the  ability  ?  we  imagine  not, 
for  virtue  co?isists  in  the  right  use  of  a  power  to  do  wrong.  If 
not,  then  has  man  no  power  to  do  either  right  or  wrong,  by  vir- 
tue of  an  inward  or  inherent  ability,  but  only  as  he  is  acted  on  by 
surrounding  circumstances  ;  and  is  thus  impelled  one  way  or  the 
other,  as  is  mere  matter  by  a  concussion  with  mere  matter.  This, 
were  it  true,  is  a  noble  view  of  the  noblest  work  of  God,  the  crea- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  119 

tion  of  mind,  which  view,  however,  is  the  true  child  and  offspring 
of  fatalism,  and  a  consequence  of  Universalism,  as  it  regards 
human  agency.  On  this  plan,  it  can  never  be  said,  that  men 
resist  temptation  ;  for  if  at  any  time  they  do  not  comply  with 
solicitations  to  do  evil,  all  that  can  be  conceived,  as  a  reason  why 
not,  is  that  the  temptation  did  not  tempt  strong  enough,  and  is 
no  evidence  of  virtue  in  him  who  imagined  that  he  had  resisted, 
as  force  in  the  attractor  was  wanting,  itnd  found  insufficient.  If 
stick  were  the  situation  of  the  mind  of  human  society,  it  were 
impossible  to  adapt  law  for  its  government ;  and  far  more  impos- 
sible with  any  show  of  justice  to  attach  penalties  for  the  breach 
of  law,  as  the  penalties,  as  well  as  the  law,  should  be  addressed 
by  statute  to  the  leniptors,  and  not  the  tempted.  On  this  ground 
it  is  the  horse  which  is  stolen,  that  is  to  be  punished  for  tempt- 
ing and-exerting  so  strong  an  influence  on  the  poor  passive  thief, 
and  thus  of  all  other  crimes  men  arc  tempted  to  do.  If  this  ex- 
change between  the  tempted  and  temptor  could  but  take  place,  it 
were  a  fine  affair,  as  man  would  find  himself  free  from  guilt, 
depravity,  and  alt  the  consequences  of  sin,  from  self  murder, 
down  to  the  mere  flit  of  an  evil  thought  through  the  mind  of  the 
most  simple  and  ignorant. 

But  such  a  notion  is  base  trifling  with  the  height  of  human 
intellect  and  human  responsibility,  as  well  as  with  God,  for  man 
has  a  power  to  do  evil,  and  to  sin,  not  only  relatively,  as  against 
his  fellow,  but  also  against  God  in  the  abstract,  inasmuch  as  all 
sin  has  its  root  in  the  mind,  (or  no  where)  ere  it  is  carried  out 
into  action,  with  all  its  wide  spread  ruin,  as  known  in  the  world. 

Man  can  sin  in  some  cases  against  Gcd,  according  to  the 
Scriptures  ;  which  sins  are  not  against  our  fellow.  This  is 
taught  by  the  Saviour,  when  he  said  to  the  Jews,  that  if  a  man 
did  but  look  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her,  that  he  committed 
already  adultery  in  his  heart.  Here  is  a  sin  which  is  not  rela- 
•  tive,  as  it  is  unknown,  except  to  the  sinner  and  the  Creator,  and 
affects  no  being  in  a  relative  sense.  Now  if  one  sin  can  be  com- 
mitted which  is  not  relative  to  our  fellows,  then  the  principle, 
as  a  principle  is  established,  and  proves  that  men  can  sin  against 
God,  abstract  from  all  the  circumstances  of  human  life.  If  so, 
then  it  follows  that  man's  nature  is  wrong,  and  that  nothing  can 
right  it,  but  a  supernatural  and  spiritual  conversion  to  God,  in 
which  change  the  nature  is  set  right  again.  To  prove  this  posi- 
tion still  further,  we  recollect  that  it  is  said  in  Scripture,  that  the 
law  of  God  is  exceeding  broad,  extending  even  to  the  thoughts 
and  intents  of  the  heart,  of  which  there  is  no  need,  however,  if 
all  sin,  is  but  merely  relative,  as  conteneled  by  Universalists. 
Hundreds  of  passages  and  positions  of  the  Scriptures  can  1x5 
found  to  establish  the  fact  that  sin  exists  primarily  against  the 
Supreme  Being,  and  but  secondarily  agamst  ourselves  and  our 
fellows. 


120  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Man  has,  therefore,  a  power,  by  virtue  of  his  own  liberty  of 
will,  or  in  other  words,  his  free  agency  to  do  acts  of  pure  turpi- 
tude and  horror,  which  do  not  promise,  either  at  the  time  of 
commission,  or  at  any  future  time,  any  degree  of  happiness,  and 
more  than  this,  has  power  to  will  his  own  misery,  (though  not 
to  love  it,)  even  without  a  hope  of  recompense,  which  is  often 
done  in  pure  spite  to  an  upbraiding  conscience,  and  of  the  coun- 
sels of  the  just  and  the  good. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  abstract  wickedness,  and  is  called 
heart  wickedness,  or  sin  does  not  exist  at  all  as  a  principle,  and 
lias  no  being  among  men,  any  more  than  it  has  among  dumb 
animals  ;  for  animals  often  hurt,  rob  and  kill  each  other,  yet  this 
is  not  sin,  either  against  themselves  or  each  other,  or  any  evi- 
dence of  depravity  in  their  natures,  as  is  the  case  with  man  ;  and 
the  reason  is  because  they  are  not  moral  agents. 

Man  has  the  power  even  to  amputate  his  own  limbs,  to  de- 
stroy his  neighbor  and  his  neighbors  property,  to  commit  sui- 
cide, and  all  manner  of  enormities ;  which  if  he  had  not,  the 
omission  of  such  evils,  when  tempted  thereto,  could  not  be  a  vir- 
tue. "  The  will  is  not  necessitated,  or  so  determined  toward 
good  as  not  to  be  able  to  do  the  opposite.  This  was  the  judg- 
ment of  all  antiquity,  and  of  the  church  universal."  Watson's 
Dictionary,  page  899.     So  that  the  will  is  left  free. 

We  feel  and  know  intuitively,  that  we  have  a  power  presump- 
tuously and  foolishly  to  thrust  ourselves  into  the  water,  into  the 
fire,  from  the  summit  of  a  precipice,  and  upon  death  in  many 
ways,  even  though  we  may  not  have  the  will  to  do  so  ;  and 
that  we  are  able  to  use  such  power,  even  to  our  own  destruction, 
without  the  hope  of  present  or  future  good  of  any  description. 
Power  and  will,  it  should  be  noticed,  are  two  distinct  principles, 
and  are  possessed  by  all  accountable  beings,  and  may  be  exerted 
preposterously,  as  well  as  consistently  and  virtuously,  or  man  is 
not  a  subject  of  moral  government,  is  not  a  free  agent,  cannot 
sin  against  God,  his  fellow,  or  himself. 

But  if,  as  before  hinted,  free  agency  is  a  dangeroits  gift,  it 
may  be  also  said  to  be  a  glorious  and  valuable  gift,  as  by  it  the 
only  means  of  approach  to  the  Divine  likeness  is  afforded  ;  as  to 
this  power,  the  law  of  God,  which  includes  the  whole  system  of 
Christianity,  is  addressed :  so  that  an  immeasurable  amount  of 
happiness  may  accrue  from  its  right  use,  which  could  not  take 
place  on  a  contrary  opinion.  With  this  amazing  qualification, 
which  men  and  angels  have,  the  doors  of  future  happiness  in 
eternal  perpetuity,  are  unlocked  to  every  virtuous  aspirant,  as 
they  shall  advance  to  boundless  fields  yet  unknown,  of  pleasures 
untasted  and  unseen,  in  the  empire  of  ceaseless  duration  ;  and 
would  remain  thus  locked  to  endless  ages,  were  it  not  for  the 
right  use  of  this  key,  intellectual  free  agency.  Were  it  not  for 
this  qualification,  man  could  not  have  either  stood  or  fell,  in  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  121 

proper  sense  of  the  word  ;  yet  free  agency  does  not  include  in  its 
nature  the  right  to  do  wrong,  but  the  power  only. 

What  though  it  is  contended  by  Universalis^  and  some  others, 
that  man  can  choose  nothing  except  that  which  is  most  agreeable 
to  him,  and  therefore  deny  his  essential  moral  freedom  ;  yet  they 
fail  to  prove  this  opinion  ;  for  even  the  very  act  of  choosing  that 
which  is  most  agreeable,  shows  his  freedom  ;  for.  if  he  chooses  at 
all,  it  implies  that  he  might  not  have  thus  chosen,  and  therefore, 
even  in  this  case  the  power  is  still  seen  in  its  full  force.  We 
know  it  is  impossible  to  be  approached  by  two  objects  dissimilar 
to  each  other  ;  the  one  pleasing  and  the  other  displeasing,  with- 
out our  perceiving  it ;  but  this  very  power  of  perceiving  the 
difference,  and  of  choosing  the  one  and  rejecting  the  other,  is  the 
proof  of  free  agency,  as  without  this  power  we  could  not  per- 
ceive the  supposed  difference.  In  this  respect,  ail  animal  life  is 
alike  ;  man  only  ascending  by  virtue  of  his  rationality  to  moral 
subjects,  while  all  the  other  grades  of  being  below  him,  are  lef; 
destitute,  yet  equally  free  to  reject  that  which  to  them  appears 
disagreeable.  The  fact,  therefore,  that  man  naturally  choose? 
that  which  to  him  appears  most  agreeable,  is  as  strong  a  proof  o: 
the  existence  of  true  free  agency,  as  are  the  contrary  exertions 
of  the  same  power,  shown  in  rejecting  that  which  is  disagreeable : 
for  surely,  he  who  can  move  forward  can  also  move  backward! 
though  not  with  equal  ease.  When  we  speak  of  man's  naturally 
choosing  that  which  to  him  appears  the  most  agreeable,  we  are 
not  to  compare  this  natural  freedom  with  the  freedom  of  water 
to  run  down  hill,  or  the  natural  gravity  of  all  ponderous  bodies. 
as  this  latter  fact  cannot  be  estimated  as  moral  freedom,  there 
being  no  reflection  or  thought  exerted  in  the  case ;  while  in  the 
former  there  is  reflection,  and  therefore  choice  is  shown  to  be 
free ;  or  choice  cannot  be  shown  to  exist  at  all.  The  faculty,  or 
power  of  free  choice,  is  certainly  shown  to  exist  in  the  Scripture, 
where  it  is  written,  "  choose  ye  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve  f 
and  in  another  place,  "  ye  choose  death  in  the  error  of  your 
ways."  It  also  is  written  of  Moses,  that  when  he  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  being  king  of  Egypt,  being  heir  apparent  to  the  throne, 
on  account  of  Thcrmutis,  the  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  having 
adopted  him  as  her  son,  that  he  chose  to  suffer  reproach  rather 
than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season.  In  this  case,  it 
is  clearly  shown,  that  the  most  agreeable  object,  as  it  regarded 
the  senses  of  Moses,  wras  rejected  on  the  account  of  a  more  dis- 
tant reward,  not  to  be  enjoyed  till  after  death. 

The  fact  that  man  is  able  to  reject  any  object  which  may  be 
presented  to  the  senses,  which  promises  immediate  gratification, 
on  the  account  of  a  more  distant  and  elevated  good,  of  a  mental 
and  moral  character,  is  evidence  of  man's  moral  free  agency,  or 
freedom.     If  it  be  urged,  however,  by  the  opponent,  that  although 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

this  power  is  in  the  possession  of  our  race,  yet  it  simply  sho ws, 
after  all,  man's  utter  inability  to  choose  that,  which  upon  the 
whole,  appears  as  the  best  or  most  agreeable,  either  to  the  senses, 
or  the  more  elevated  powers  of  the  mind ;  we  still  maintain,  not- 
withstanding, that  his  freedom  is  shown  equally  clear,  or  the 
word  choice  has  no  application  to  the  condition  of  man ;  and 
would,  were  it  so,  render  the  application  of  moral  law  to  the  race, 
as  improper  and  useless,  as  would  be  the  application  of  moral  law 
to  the  fishes  of  the  deep.  But  if  the  term  choice  is  descriptive  of 
an  optional  power  in  the  human  soul,  however  it  may  be  influ- 
enced by  agreeable  objects,  whether  physical  or  moral,  then  the 
doctrine  of  man's  free  agency  is  made  oat. 

The  five  senses,  hearing,  seeing,  smelling,  tasting  and  feeling, 
are  exactly  adapted  to  our  present  condition  ;  but  if  that  higher 
power,  called  mind,  one  ingredient  of  which  is  its  freedom  of 
action,  cannot  govern  those  senses,  then  it  follows  that  we  see, 
not  because  the  mind  directs  to  the  contemplation  of  objects ;  the 
ear  hears,  not  because  the  mind  watches  to  distinguish  sounds ; 
we  feel,  not  because  the  mind  discovers  where  the  sensation  is; 
we  taste,  not  because  the  mind  acknowledges  this  qualification 
of  the  glands  of  the  mouth  ;  we  smell,  not  because  the  mind  is 
delighted  with  this  mysterious  power ;  but  because  all  these  objects 
which  are  recognized  by  the  senses,  rush  fortuitously  upon  them ; 
not  being  directed  by  the  mind  how  to  distinguish  between  ob- 
jects ;  which,  were  it  so,  would  be  to  half  uncreate  the  soul  and 
body  of  man,  and  render  him  wholly  unfit  for  the  present  mode 
of  existence.  The  mind  therefore,  has  this  power  of  choice  ;  it 
is  not  situated  in  any  of  the  senses  ;  the  senses  cannot  control  it ; 
}>ecause  it  is  a  power  wholly  above  that  which  is  agreeable  or 
disagreeable  to  these  five  avenues p{  the  mind.  Mind,  therefore, 
is  free,  though  adapted  to  the  identical  condition  of  the  senses, 
which  have  no  power  of  choice  ;  and  would,  were  it  so,  entirely 
destroy  its  existence,  and  reduce  the  whole  animal  world  to  the 
condition  of  mere  matter.  The  fact  is,  the  senses  could  be  no 
senses,  except  the  mind  exists  to  comprehend  them  ;  and  yet  the 
mind  can  neither  see,  hear,  smell,  taste,  nor  feel.  To  suppose 
an  organized  body,  without  a  mind,  having  all  the  senses,  is  to 
suppose  the  existence  of  eyes  which  cannot  see,  of  ears  that  can- 
not hear,  of  taste  which  cannot  taste,  of  smell  which  cannot  smell, 
and  of  feeling  which  cannot  feel. 

Now  ought  it  to  be  believed  that  these  unthinking,  unknow- 
ing senses,  can,  or  do  control  the  mind  ?  if  not,  then  it  is  clear 
that  the  mind  can  act  independent  of  them,  and  above  their 
solicitations;  which  proves  its  absolute  power  of  freedom,  or 
free  agency,  and  the  judge  of  what  is  best  to  be  indulged  in. 
But  notwithstanding  all  this,  we  still  admit  that  the  mind  cannot 
choose  that  which  is  disagreeable  to  it ;  yet  contend,  that  this 
very  fact  is  the  whole  amount  of  the  evidence  of  its  real  free 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  123 

agency;  or,  as  we  have  before  said,  the  term  choice,  has  no  ap- 
plication to  the  condition  of  our  race ;  and  also  contend  that  this 
qualification  gives  not  the  right  to  do  wrong,  but  only  the  power. 

This  view  of  the  subject  entirely  clears  the  Divine  Being  of 
desiring,  or  of  determining  the  fall  of  man,  or  of  being  the  cause 
of  sin,  directly  or  remotely ;  which,  were  it  so,  would  prove  be- 
yond all  doubt,  a  determination  that  sin  should  somehow  come 
to  pass,  that  our  first  parents  should  fall,  that  a  breach  of  God's 
law  should  be  perpetrated,  that  contempt  should  be  poured  upon 
his  own  government.  This  would  be  strange  work  indeed,  and 
so  far  as  we  are  able  to  perceive,  would  make  God  a  party  with 
transgressors,  or  at  least  would  afford  the  Most  High  an  oppor- 
tunity of  demonstrating,  how  easily  and  wonderfully  he  could 
repair  moral  ruin,  which  himself  was  pleased  to  have  take  place, 
and  more  than  this,  would  at  once  show  that  sin  does  not  exist, 
as  says  the  Deist,  because  any  thing  instituted,  carried  on,  and 
perfected  by  the  Divine  Being,  either  by  his  own  direct  power, 
or  by  remote  agencies  of  his,  is  right  in  principle  and  in  effect, 
and  therefore  is  no  sin.  But  sin  does  exist,  not  only  secondarily, 
as  against  our  fellows,  but  also  primarily  against  God,  as  the 
governor  or  statute  of  the  universe  ;  and  though  we  believe  the 
fall  of  man  or  angels  were  not  desired  events,  on  the  part  of  God ; 
yet  we  believe  that  he  was  greatly  glorified  in  the  redemption  of 
our  race,  but  dare  not  say  as  some  have  said,  that  more  glory 
accrues  to  the  Divine  Being  on  that  account,  than  if  the  law  had 
not  been  kept  by  our  first  parents ;  for  we  ask,  what  more  can 
even  a  redeemed  creature  do  after  all,  than  to  keep  God's  holy 
law,  which  is  no  more,  however,  than  could  have  been  done,  if 
men,  or  angels,  had  not  have  fallen.  We  dare  not  in  this  way, 
or  any  other  way,  make  the  Divine  Being  indebted  to  sin,  which 
is  the  transgression  of  his  own  law,  for  an  additional  amount  of 
glory  to  himself;  nor  dare  we  write  and  propagate  among  men, 
that  the  occurrence  of  sin  was  a  desired  event  of  the  ever  blessed 
God,  as  do  Universal  ists.  We  are  taught  in  Scripture  that  the 
immaculate  life  of  Christ,  as  a  man,  honored  for  man  the  law, 
which  had  been  dishonored  by  the  disobedience  of  Adam  and 
Eve ;  but  there  is  no  intimation  in  that  book  that  it  was  more 
than  honored,  even  by  Christ  himself,  a  thing  impossible ;  how 
then  can  more  glory  arise  to  God,  through  the  redemption,  than 
if  man  had  not  sinned  ?  But  on  the  other  hypothesis,  this  must 
be  true,  even  though  it  is  impossible,  and  brings  the  glory  of  God 
in  debt  to  sin ;  because,  if  sin  had  not  taken  place,  redemption 
would  not  have  been  applicable  to  our  race. 

But  if  we  believe  the  fall  of  man  was  contrary  to  the  will  and 
desire  of  God,  as  produced  by  rebelling  free  agents,  we  then  at 
once  perceive  how  exceedingly  glorious  an  undertaking  the  plan 
and  execution  of  redemption  was,  and  how  wide  a  field  in  this 
occurrence,  was  opened  for  the  exercise  of  real  benevolence  on 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

the  part  of  God.  But  on  the  other  idea,  which  supposes  the 
Creator  as  willing,  and  desiring  the  fall  of  man,  redemption 
dwindles  in  its  glory  down  to  a  mere  show  and  ostentatious  pa- 
rade of  pity,  which  even  in  man  could  be  nothing  short  of  magnifi- 
cently disgraceful ;  for  if  the  fall  of  man  was  caused  by  the  will 
of  God,  common  generosity,  nay,  justice  itself,  would  require 
that  he  should  restore  him  again,  if  his  fall  into  sin  did  not  please 
him.  But  such  was  not  the  case ;  the  fall  of  man  was  contrary 
to  the  eternal  will  of  God ;  yet  he  could  not  prevent  it,  unless 
he  would  control,  or  take  away  their  free  agency,  which  would 
have  been  in  part  to  have  uncreated  man,  a  thing  impossible,  as 
the  Creator  changeth  not  in  mind,  though  the  principalities  and 
powers  of  rational  existence  which  he  has  made,  change  in  moral 
character  ever  so  much. 


Proofs  of  the  Fall  of  the  Angels,  Refutation  of  several  Propo- 
sitions of  Balfour  respecting  the  Opinions  of  Zoroaster, 
as  copied  by  the  Orthodox  Sects,  according  to  this  Author, 
with  many  other  Curious  Matters. 

But  to  return  again  to  the  case  of  sinning  angels,  who  kept 
not  their  first  estate,  as  recorded  by  St.  Jude  and  others,  so  as  to 
ascertain  the  true  origin  of  their  sin,  and  reason  of  their  apostacy, 
and  of  the  being  of  Satan ;  as  this  subject  is  one  of  the  chief 
objects  of  this  work.  But  before  we  proceed  to  investigate  this 
subject,  we  are  necessitated  to  prove  that  some  of  the  angels, 
whose  existence  and  supernatural  character  we  have  made  out 
already  in  this  work,  fell  from  heaven,  their  first  habitation,  and 
became  enemies  to  God,  and  all  his  works,  with  him,  now  called 
Satan  at  their  head.  We  undertake  to  prove  this,  because  it  is 
denied  by  those  sects  who  do  not  believe  that  there  is  literally  a 
personal  conscious  being  called  Satan,  or  beings  called  devils, 
demons,  and  evil  spirits,  beings  of  an  invisible  state ;  which,  if 
we  fail  to  perform,  the  chief  design  of  this  book  is  not  made  out, 
and  the  faith  of  those  sects  who  deny  their  existence,  stands 
unshaken  in  these  respects. 

In  pursuit  of  such  proof,  we  know  not  where  to  turn,  except 
to  the  Scriptures ;  a  book  which  is  venerated  by  all,  as  the  great 
text  book  of  Christian  theology,  from  whence  all  men  draw 
authority  in  support  of  their  religious  faith,  and  is  therefore  an 
accredited  source  of  information,  on  all  subjects  upon  which  it 
treats ;  and  this  subject,  that  of  the  fall  of  some  of  such  angels, 
is  one.  A  book  .90  sacred,  and  so  high  in  authority,  upon  which, 
as  upon  a  foundation  of  adamant,  is  built  not  only  the  hopes  of 
this  life,  in  moralizing  and  evangelizing  the  world;  but  that  of 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


125 


eternal  existence  and  eternal  happiness,  should  be  allowed  as  a 
competent  and  sufficient  arbiter  on  this  subject;  what,  therefore, 
does  it  establish  in  relation  to  it?  See  St.  Jude,  who  in  relating 
several  instances  of  God's  severity  toward  the  incorrigibly  wicked, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  unbelieving  and  rebellions  Jews,  who  died  on 
that  account,  in  the  great  desert,  between  the  country  of  Canaan 
and  Egypt,  and  of  the  cities  of  the  vale  of  Sodom,  as  suffering 
the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire,  speaks  also  of  the  "  angels  who 
kept  not  /heir  first  estate,  but  left  their  own  habitation,  he 
(God)  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains  under  darkness 
unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day?  But  is  this  fact,  the  fall 
of  the  angels,  as  stated  by  St.  Jude,  any  where  corroborated  in 
the  New  "Testament?  it  most  certainly  is;  see  John,  viii.  44, 
where  it  is  said,  that  our  Lord  said  to  the  blaspheming  Jews, 
that  they  did  the  lusts  of  their  father  the  devil ;  "who  was  a 
murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in  the  truth? 

Now  who  is  this  devil,  who  is  said  by  even  Jesus  Christ  to  be 
the  father  of  the  Jewish  lusts,  which  they  did?  Was  it  Zoroas- 
ter, the  great  leader  of  the  Persian  Magian  religion,  of  fire  wor- 
shippers, who  having  been  a  Jew,  left  that  religion,  according  to 
Balfour,  and  seizing  on  many  new  dogmas,  which  he  received 
from  the  heathen,  among  whom  he  went,  grafted  them  upon  the 
Jewish  stock,  and  taught  them  to  the  Persians  ?  if  so,  it  must  be 
shown  that  Zoroaster's  apostacy  from  the  Jewish  religion,  was 
the  beginning  of  error  in  the  world ;  and  therefore,  that  Moses 
was  miserably  mistaken,  when  many  hundred  years  before 
Zoroaster's  time,  he  had  written  the  account  of  the  fall  of  Adam 
and  Eve  from  the  truth,  and  the  wickedness  of  all  the  human 
race,  till  his  own  time. 

Mr.  Balfour  has  labored  hard,  see  his  "  Enquiry. "  section  first, 
to  prove  that  the  orthodox  Christians  have  borrowed  all  their 
peculiar  sentiments,  such  as  the  existence  of  devils,  the  idea  of  a 
hell,  of  a  day  of  future  and  general  judgment,  &c,  from  this  Zo- 
roaster, and  that  Zoroaster  got  them  from  the  heathen  Greeks ; 
as  he  thinks  it  impossible  for  him  to  have  derived  these 
opinions  from  the  Old  Testament,  although  as  we  understand 
them  are  found  in  many  parts  of  it,  as  in  Genesis,  Deuter- 
onomy, Judges,  Samuel,  Kings,  the  Prophets,  Job,  the  Psalms, 
book  of  Solomon,  and  the  Proverbs.  Out  of  these  books  Zoro- 
aster enriched  his  works — and  especially  from  the  book  of 
Psalms,  which  he  nearly  transcribed  into  his  Zendavesta.  It 
is  impossible  that  so  correct  a  knowledge  of  the  character  of  the 
true  God,  could  have  been  obtained  by  this  Zoroaster,  except 
from  the  writings  of  Moses  and  others  of  the  Old  Testament — as 
is  here  given  from  Eusebius,  who  says  he  had  read  the  following 
words  verbatim,  in  a  book  of  Zoroaster,  which  was  extant  in  his 
time,  and  entitled  "Sacred  Collection  of  Persian  Monu- 
ments."    u  God  is  the  first  of  all  incorruptible  beings,  eternal 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

and  unbegotten.  He  is  not  compounded  of  parts.  There  is 
none  like  nor  equal  to  him.  He  is  the  author  of  all  good,  and 
entirely  disinterested,  the  most  excellent  of  all  beings,  and  the 
wisest  of  all  intelligent  natures  ;  the  father  of  equity,  the  parent 
of  good  laws,  self  instructed,  and  the  first  former  of  nature." 

Saristhani,  quoted  by  Doctor  Hyde,  says  that  the  first  Magi, 
or  most  ancient  Persian  ministers  of  their  religion,  did  not  look 
upon  the  good  and  evil  principles  as  both  of  them  co-eternal,  but 
thought  that  light  was  indeed  eternal,  but  that  darkness  was 
produced  in  time  by  the  disloyalty  of  Ahriman,  the  chief  of  the 
Genii.  Here  it  is  plain  that  the  Persians,  before  Zoroaster  was 
born,  had  somehow  received  the  belief  of  the  fall  of  the  angels, 
which  came  originally,  after  the  flood,  from  Noah  ;  but  was  more 
fully  understood  in  Zoroaster's  time,  600  years  B.  C,  on  account 
of  his  acquaintance  with  the  Bible  of  the  Jews.  The  writings  of 
the  Chinese  abound  with  references  and  quotations  from  the 
writings  of  Soliman  Ben  Doud,  or  Solomon  the  son  of  David, 
and  no  doubt  carried  thither  by  their  own  travelling  philosophers. 

Mr.  Balfour  thinks  it  impossible  for  the  orthodox  sects  to  have 
taken  their  belief  from  the  New  Testament,  but  wholly  from  Zo- 
roaster. But  how  this  can  be  we  know  not,  and  we  believe  is 
equally  unknown  to  Mr.  Balfour,  as  the  writings  of  Zoroaster 
have  never  been  known  to  the  Christian  church,  otherwise  than 
to  a  very  few  learned  men,  but  never  made  common.  If  the  or- 
thodox sects  are  guilty  of  Zoroasterism,  then  was  Christ,  his  dis- 
ciples, and  their  immediate  followers  Zoroasterans,  as  those  pecul- 
iar sentiments  of  the  orthodox  sects  are  certainly  found  in  the 
New  Testament,  and  there  learned,  as  not  one  man  among  a 
hundred  million  Christians,  ever  saw  the  writings  of  that  phi- 
losopher, or  ever  even  heard  of  him.  In  accusing  the  orthodox 
sects  of  having  taken  their  peculiar  opinions  from  Zoroaster,  Mr. 
Balfour  accuses  even  the  inspired  writers  of  the  New  Testament 
with  this  plagiarism,  as  that  book  is  all  the  authority  the  Chris- 
tian churches  ever  had  or  ever  heard  of,  for  its  peculiar  opinions, 
which  Universalists  oppose.  It  is  to  the  Old  and  to  the  New 
Testament  these  doctrines  are  to  be  traced,  even  though  miscon- 
ceived of,  as  Universalists  seem  to  suppose ;  yet  from  those  books 
we  know  we  derive  our  authority,  knowing  of  no  other.  This 
ridicule  therefore  of  Balfour  is  of  no  importance,  as  we  rely  whol- 
ly upon  the  New  Testament,  as  it  reads,  for  those  peculiar  senti 
ments — that  of  the  being  of  Satan,  the  existence  of  devils  or  evil 
spirits,  a  hell  and  future  day  of  Judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
&c.  (fee. 

If  then  the  beginning,  of  which  St.  John  (viii.  44,)  speaks, 
when  he  says  the  devil  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and 
abode  not  in  the  truth,  has  nothing  to  do  with  Zoroaster  the  great 
Persian  theological  law-giver,  to  what  period  does  he  relate? 
What  truth  did  this  devil  forsake,  if  it  was  not  Ins  fall  from  hea- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  127 

ven,  or  first  estate  ?  That  any  angel  ever  fell  from  heaven  is 
abhorrent  to  the  ideas  of  Mr.  Balfour,  the  great  divine  of  the  Uni- 
versalists  ;  for  if  this  can  be  proved  their  whole  opposition  to  the 
orthodox  belief  on  these  subjects  vanishes  away;  on  which  ac- 
count  the  texts  most  in  point,  by  which  it  is  proven,  are  avoided, 
or  assumed  not  to  mean  this  thing,  whatever  else  they  may 
mean. 

Hut  St.  Jude  is  corroborated  in  his  statement  by  St.  Peter  as 
well  as  St.  John,  to  all  intents  and  purposes;  for  this  apostle  hav- 
ing the  same  subject  in  view,  that  of  God's  severity  toward  the 
incorrigibly  and  perseveringly  wicked,  mentions  false  prophets 
then  among  the  people,  who  brought  in  damnable  heresies,  deny- 
ing the  Lord  that  bought  them,  whose  damnation  slumbered  not ; 
and  urges  the  certainty  of  their  doom  from  the  fact  that  u  God 
spared  not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell, 
and  delivered  them  into  chains  of  darkness  to  be  reserved  unto 
judgment*  2  Peter,  ii.  4. 

How  is  it  that  Universalists  have  become  so  much  wiser  on 
this  subject  than  all  former  ages,  for  "the  traditions  of  their  fall, 
says  Adam  Clarke,  is  in  all  countries,  and  in  all  religions ;  and 
why  I  because  the  sense  of  all  mankind  so  understood  this  ac- 
count of  the  Scriptures,  who  have  had  them  to  read,  except  a  few, 
we  will  add,  of  recent  origin  and  fast  spreading  notoriety.  It 
was  the  belief  of  the  Jewrs  that  Satan,  a  fallen  angel,  slew  Adam, 
and  in  him  slew  all  his  descendants."  Their  opinion  on  this 
matter  we  think  should  have  some  weight,  as  we  do  not  find  it 
corrected  by  the  Messiah,  nor  by  his  disciples  who  have  given  us 
his  doctrine  on  this  point,  as  on  all  the  other  peculiar  opinions 
of  the  orthodox  sects.  It  is  no  marvel  that  among  the  gentiles, 
or  heathen  nations  of  remotest  antiquity,  a  belief  of  the  fall  of  the 
angels  should  have  been  extant ;  for  we  are  not  to  suppose  that 
Noah  was  ignorant  of  the  account  of  their  fall — as  given  by 
Moses,  in  the  book  of  Genesis, — nor  any  of  his  immedi- 
ate descendants,  even  for  five  hundred  years  after  the  subsi- 
ding of  the  flood;  for  Shem,  his  oldest  son,  lived  that  length  of 
time  after  the  flood,  and  no  doubt  inculcated  this  account  among 
all  the  descendants  of  Noah  as  much  as  was  in  his  power.  We 
believe  this  the  more  as  it  relates  to  Shem  in  particular,  as  there 
is  much  evidence  that  this  same  Shem  was  Melchisedek  who 
was  cotemporary  with  Abraham  two  thousand  years  before 
Christ.  All  the  other  branches  of  Noah's  family  must  have  car- 
ried this  account  with  them  every  where,  and  in  this  way  have 
filled  the  world  with  the  tradition  ;  so  that  even  if  Zoroaster  had 
never  seen  a  copy  of  that  part  of  the  Old  Testament,  so  far  as 
written  in  the  time  of  Isaiah,  he  would  have  had,  as  a  well  infor- 
med religious  teacher  of  his  time,  a  knowledge  of  such  a  doctrine 
as  that  of  (he  fall  of  the  angels.  It  was  a  fact  that  the  doctrine 
of  a  good  god  and  an  evil  god,  who  were  opposed  to  each  other, 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

was  a  belief  of  the  most  ancient  Persians.  But  from  whom  this 
idea  was  derived,  Balfour,  who  admits  this  fact,  does  not  relate, 
but  seems  to  imagine  it  of  their  own  invention.  This  however 
is  a  resort  for  its  origin  not  called  for,  as  it  was  an  anledeluvian 
tenet  of  the  Patriarchs  descending  from  Adam  to  Noah,  and  from 
Noah  to  the  time  of  Moses. 

But  how  is  this  proven  ?  It  is  proven  from  the  staternent  in 
Genesis  3d,  where  the  account  of  Eve's  having  been  deceived  by 
the  serpent  is  given.  We  know  very  well  that  no  brute  animal 
of  the  creation  could  ever  talk  or  reason,  and  therefore  if  one  of 
them  did  do  so,  as  in  the  case  of  Eve,  that  it  must  have  been  in- 
spired by  a  superior  and  supernatural  being,  as  no  one  of  a  natu- 
ral or  earthly  condition  could  do  it.  This  supernatural  being 
was,  therefore,  that  fallen  angel,  who  had  by  his  fall  become  the 
enemy  of  God  and  all  his  works,  or  it  was  nothing ;  and  thus  we 
believe  Moses  understood  it. 

To  go  on  the  ground  which  Balfour  and  all  Universalists  do 
in  the  illustration  of  that  subject,  is  to  our  understanding  amaz- 
ingly out  of  joint. 

His  and  their  opinions  are,  that  Eve's  lusts  were  the  serpent 
which  out-reasoned  her  understandings  Is  it  to  be  conceived  as 
having  been  possible  that  the  soul  of  Eve,  the  creature  of  God, 
new  from  his  hand,  was  endowed  with  lusts  which  were  to  pro- 
duce her  ruin  as  certainly  as  that  God  should  place  her  under 
law,  as  that  law  would  as  certainly  draw  out  those  lusts  into  ac- 
tion against  such  law,  as  flint  and  steel  when  driven  against  each 
other  produce  fire.  However  pure  and  good  all  the*  other  parts 
of  creation  may  have  been,  and  however  loudly  the  Divine  Arbi- 
ter may  have  pronounced  them  so,  yet  could  he  not  do  this  in  re- 
lation to  man  ?  as  it  is  impossible  for  the  unutterably  Holy  Crea- 
tor to  approve  of  that  which  is  radically  evil  in  its  very  nature,  or 
tending  to  evil.  Yet  he  has  done  this,  if  Universalists  are  cor- 
rect ;  as  it  is  said  that  man  was  made  in  his  own  image  and  like- 
ness. Has  God  any  lusts  ?  if  not,  then  a  being  having  lust  is 
not  his  image,  and  of  course,  according  to  Balfour,  neither  Adam 
nor  Eve  were  made  in  his  image,  nor  in  any  sense  morally  up- 
right, as  the  Scriptures  assert  they  were.  Lust  is  the  offspring 
of  her  fall,  not  the  cause,  and  could  not  have  existed  in  her  moral 
nature  before  that  event. 

Balfour,  in  order  to  support  this  opinion  of  the  lusts  of  Eve 
before  she  fell,  quotes  St.  James  i.  15,  who  says — "  Then  when 
lust  hath  conceived  it  bringeth  forth  sin  ;  and  sin,  when  it  is  fin- 
ished, bringeth  forth  death."  But  this  is  arguing  with  the  cart 
before  the  horse  ;  as  lust,  which  bringeth  death,  is  now  in  man's 
nature,  but  was  not  originally ;  for  if  it  was,  then  man  is  not  fall- 
on,  has  not  sinned — nay  cannot  sin ;  as  the  legitimate  action  of 
all  first  principles  implanted  in  man's  nature  cannot  act  against 
God  nor  his  law,  as  Balfour  says  Eve's  did ;  unless  we  suppose 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  129 

the  Supreme  Being  was  divided  against  himself  when  he  made 
them.  This  sentiment  of  Universalists  is  pure  Deism,  as  it  ex- 
cuses man  from  sin,  and  makes  out  by  inevitable  consequence 
that  man  has  never  sinned — a  Redeemer,  therefore,  was  never 
needed,  all  is  now  right,  the  religion  of  Nature  is  the  only  true 
religion.  "It  is  true  (however)  that  when  lust  hath  conceived 
it  bringelh  forth  sin,  and  sin  when  it  is  finished  bringeth 
forth  death" — moral  and  eternal ;  which  applies  to  the  case  of 
all  the  incorrigibly  wicked ;  but  never  was  intended  to  apply  to 
the  condition  of  Eve  nor  of  her  husband  before  they  had  sinned. 

That  Balfour  is  at  fault  in  this  respect,  we  further  show  by  his 
statement  in  his  Enquiry,  page  30,  about  what  lust  is,  who  there 
says  lust  and  desire  are  the  same.  If  this  were  so,  then  all  the 
animals  of  creation  have  lusts,  as  they  have  desire !  Whoever 
thought  of  supposing  animals  morally  evil  on  that  account  ? — 
How  then  was  man  originally  in  a  worse  condition  than  the  ani- 
mals ?  All  that  Adam  and  Eve  did  was  to  act  as  they  were  made 
to  act,  like  all  other  creatures,  and  therefore  have  not  sinned  ! 
This  conclusion  is  as  plain  to  Balfour,  and  to  any  Universalist 
as  it  is  to  us. 

Is  it  possible,  that  Moses  being  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  God, 
could  deliberately  write  such  stuff:  as  that  Eve's  lusts  had  the 
power  of  reasoning — and  by  artifice  and  stratagem,  out-witted 
and  beguiled  her  own  understanding?  We  should  imagine  that 
had  she  the  lust  supposed,  and  being  a  part  of  her  own  nature, 
that  they  could  not  have  dealt  so  treacherously  with  her,  and 
have  planned  her  ruin,  so  understanding^  :  knowing  far  more  of 
the  nature  of  law,  or  pretended  to  know,  more  than  Eve  herself 
did.  Lusts  have  no  understanding ;  appetites  have  no  percep- 
tion ;  they  are  not  capable  of  argument,  and  could  never  mislead 
any  one,  were  it  not  for  the  corrupted  imagination,  and  corrup- 
ted powers  of  the  mind :  which  on  account  of  the  fall,  have 
become  alienated  from  the  life  of  God — which  was  in  him  before 
that  event.  For  which  reason,  Moses  could  not  with  propriety, 
according  with  eternal  truth — have  personated  by  a  real  being, 
or  image,  the  passions  of  Eve — as  if  they  were  a  distinct  exis- 
tence from  herself — having  the  power  of  discernment,  so  as  to 
be  entitled  to  the  appellation  of — subtilest  beast  of  all  the  field. 
This  he  could  not  have  done,  unless  we  suppose  he  intended  to 
ridicule  the  work  of  God  in  producing  the  woman ;  as  Balfour, 
in  consequence,  makes  him  to  do,  in  saying  that  she  had  lusts, 
as  she  came  new  from  the  hand  of  God  :  and  by  making  him 
call  those  lusts,  the  subtil ist  beast  of  all  the  field,  or  world,  and 
sets  the  Divine  Being  to  curse  his  own  work,  and  to  say  that  a 
part  of  Eve  should  go  on  its  belly  all  the  days  of  its  life,  and  eat 
dust — being  cursed  above  all  cattle.  This  is  a  most  glorious 
view  of  the  first  man  and  woman's  nature,  as  produced  by  the 
hand  of  heaven,  in  the  very  outset  of  our  race.     The  whole  sys- 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

tern  of  Ilnversalist  notions  hangs  here  ;  for  if  they  cannot  main- 
tain that  Eve  had  in  her  very  being,  as  first  created,  deceitful, 
misleading  and  beguiling  lusts,  by  which  she  fell,  or  was  already 
corrupt,  even  before  her  fall :  they  are  cut  asunder  from  their 
hope  and  belief,  that  there  are  no  fallen  angels,  and  of  conse- 
quence, no  devil,  or  evil  spirit,  vanishes  into  smoke,  from  where 
it  arose. 

This  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  the  angels,  was  known,  and  believ- 
ed by  the  writers  of  the  book  of  the  history  of  Job,  which  there 
can  be  but  little  doubt  was  written  by  Moses — the  same  who 
wrote  the  book  of  Genesis — and  consequently  knew  all  about  it, 
having  a  knowledge  of  all  tradition,  by  education  among  the 
Hebrews,  and  the  Egyptians :  and  also  by  inspiration,  as  he  was 
a  prophet,  and  the  greatest  legislator,  who  has  ever  appeared 
among  men.  In  chapter  iv.  18,  of  the  history  of  Job,  it  is  said: 
"  Behold  He  [God]  put  not  trust  in  his  servents,  and  his  angels 
he  charged  [in  the  past  tense :  observe  it,]  with  folly."  Now 
this  stroke  of  the  pen  of  Moses,  about  the  angels,  which  God 
there  charged  with  folly,  we  learn,  they  were  not  of  the  race  of 
man,  but  superhuman  beings,  as  is  shown  from  the  next  verse, 
(the  19th)  by  the  contrast  it  presents — which  is  :  that  if  God  put 
not  trust  in  those  angels,  and  charged  them  with  folly — u  How 
much  less  (can  he  trust)  in  them  that  dwell  in  houses  of  clay, 
whose  foundation  is  in  the  dust"  mere  mortals ;  and  how  much 
more  therefore,  may  not  man  be  thus  charged.  Here  the  distinc- 
tion is  clearly  made  out.  between  fallen  angels,  and  men  who 
dwell  in  houses  of  clay,  which  are  crushed  before  the  moth. 
The  houses  of  clay,  signifies,  no  doubt,  our  bodies  which  are 
made  of  dust,  and  to  dust  soon  return  again.  This  makes  out 
their  existence  and  their  fall,  or  how  could  his  angels  have  been 
charged  with  folly ;  and  if  such  angels  as  are  there  charged  with 
said  folly,  are  distinguished  from  any,  and  all  the  race  of  man, 
by  their  not  having  their  natural  dwelling  in  houses  of  clay, 
then  it  follows  that  fallen  angels  are  meant,  and  no  other.  St. 
Jude  believed  this,  and  says  the  devil  was  present  at  the  death  of 
Moses,  and  there  contended  for  his  body,  who  wanted  the  Jews 
should  have  it  to  bury,  and  as  belonging  to  his  empire — that  of 
death,  with  the  view  of  getting  it  idolized  by  the  Israelites,  and 
thus  cause  Moses'  body  to  be  a  stumbling  block  to  them — as  is 
supposed.  See  Jude  ix. 

John  the  Revelator,  believes  this  doctrine — See  chapter  xii.  9, 
where  the  fact  of  his  fall,  and  that  of  his  associate  angels,  is 
plainly  stated,  and  that  they  were  cast  out  into  the  earth  ;  their 
leader  being  called  that  old  serpent — the  devil  and  Satan.  This 
is  pretty  hard  talk,  if  he  meant  Eve,  with  her  constituent  pow- 
ers, as  created  by  the  Almighty — which  is  so,  however,  if  we 
are  to  believe  Balfour.  .  St.  Paul  believed  this  doctrine,  or  he 
would  never  have  written  as  he  did.     See  Cor.  xi.  3 — "  But  I 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  13 1 

fear,  lest  by  any  means,  as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve  through  his 
[not  her]  subtilty,  so  your  minds  should  be  corrupted  from  the 
simplicity  that  is  in  Christ."  If  Paul  believed — as  does  Balfour, 
and  all  Universalists,  on  this  point — we  should  suppose  that  he 
might  have  said  as  much,  in  plain  words,  seeing  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  but  a  carrying  out  of  all  the  first  principles  of  theology, 
found  in  the  Old,  and  himself,  the  greatest  of  commentators, 
with  inspiration  in  the  bargain.  Besides,  as  Eve  was  a  woman, 
her  lusts — as  Balfour  calls  her  passions — before  she  sinned,  we 
should  imagine,  should  have  been  spoken  of  in  the  feminine 
gender  also  ;  but  St.  Paul  does  not  do  this,  but  speaks  of  the  ser- 
pent in  the  masculine,  when  he  says  :  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve 
through  his  subtilty,  not  her  subtilty.  But  the  Divine  Being 
himself,  sanctions  this  belief,  and  is  the  true  origin  of  it :  when 
he  said  to  the  serpent  which  had  deceived  Eve  :  the  seed  of  the 
woman  (Christ)  shall  bruise  thy  head,  (in  the  atonement.)  Now 
if  he  meant  Eve's  lusts,  pray,  which  end  of  them  is  their  head ! 
as  certainly  there  is  a  head  to  be  bruised,  or  no  bruising  could 
take  place  ;  and  more  than  this,  it  must  be  the  very  Ivsts  of  Eve, 
which  are  to  be  bruised,  as  it  was  her  lusts,  not  those  of  her  pos- 
terity which  was  threatened ;  and  then  according  to  this  view, 
this  serpent,  which  was  the  lusts  of  Eve,  was  to  bruise  this  seed's 
heel,  for  bruising  her  lusts,  which  is  the  same  as  her  lusts  bruis- 
ing themselves, — as  they  are  the  true  serpent — long  before  the  seed 
spoken  of  came  into  being  :  as  it  must  be  done  in  Eve's  life  time, 
as  her  lusts  after  her  death,  according  to  Universalists,  were  a  hard 
matter  to  find,  as  such  things  do  not  follow  our  race  out  of  this 
life.  Universalists  themselves,  do  not  disallow,  but  the  seed 
which  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  was  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
they  know  did  not  come  into  the  world  till  four  thousand  years 
after  the  time  of  that  promise ;  therefore,  how  was  the  serpent 
the  lusts  of  her  soul,  to  be  bruised  in  her  life  time,  and  so  many 
ages  before  the  existence  of  that  seed,  by  that  very  seed  ?  Here 
is  a  mysticism  with  a  vengeance,  not  more  easily  understood  than 
are  many  of  the  dark  things  of  Pagan  theology. 

Now  all  these  Scriptures — except  such  as  we  have  drawn  from 
the  New  Testament,  in  favor  of  the  doctrine  of  fallen  angels — 
were  known  to  Zoroaster,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
opinions  of  the  Jewish  doctors  on  this  subject,  as  he  has  trans- 
cribed nearly  all  of  the  Psalms,  with  other  parts  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, into  his  writings.  How  then  is  it,  that  Mr.  Balfour,  in 
his  far-fetched  and  round-about  argument,  about  Zoroaster's  doc- 
trines of  a  future  judgment — the  being  of  a  devil,  and  of  fallen 
angels — with  other  opinions  held  by  orthodox  sects,  now-a-days, 
and  in  all  former  days  of  the  Christian  era,  should  so  greatly 
wonder  from  whence  that  Persian  minister  of  the  fire  worship- 
pers got  those  ideas? — and  finally  thinks  he  received  them  from 
the  heathen  Greeks,  but  don't  tell  us  from  whence  the  Greeks 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

derived  them.  This  however,  we  will  suppose,  as  before  sugges- 
ted, they  learned  from  the  Egyptians,  colonies  who  settled 
among  them  hundreds  of  years  before  the  time  of  Zoroaster,  and 
taught  them  the  arts — who,  in  those  ages  were  barbarous  hordes 
of  semi-savages.  But  who  taught  the  Egyptians  such  doctrines  1 
We  reply :  the  Jews,  when  slaves  in  Egypt — who  received  them 
from  Abraham,  and  Abraham  from  Melchisadek,  or  Shem,  the 
son  of  Noah,  and  Noah  from  Methuselah,  and  Methuselah  from 
Enoch,  and  Adam  from  God  himself.  We  deny  that  such  sub- 
jects, as  the  doctrine  of  the  fall  of  angels — the  being  of  Satan — 
future  accountability,  including  a  day  of  general  judgment,  at 
the  end  of  time — and  the  place  called  hell,  are  the  inventions  of 
the  Greeks,  or  of  any  other  people  whatever,  originally ;  but  are 
matters  of  pure  revelation  of  fact :  however,  now  covered  over, 
distorted,  and  disguised,  by  crafty  priests  of  heathen  nations  ;  yet 
in  their  real  origin,  are  derived  from  a  source,  higher  than  the 
inventions  of  man,  and  have  come  down  the  course  of  time,  till 
embodied  in  the  books  of  Moses,  and  other  men  of  the  primitive 
nations,  and  are  sanctioned  by  all  the  writers  of  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament — as  dictated  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  Mr.  Balfour, 
and  all  his  adherents,  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding. 

This  author,  as  strange  as  it  may  appear,  argues  on  page  138, 
139,  of  his  Enquiry,  to  show  that  the  law  of  God  has  bred  lust, 
and  lust  in  all  men,  (and  in  Adam  and  Eve,  of  course,)  and 
brought  forth  sin ;  yet  St.  Paul  says  the  law  is  holy,  just,  and 
good,  and  therefore  is  not  the  origin  of  sin,  of  lusts,  and  of  moral 
evil,  but  man's  own  disobedience  of  that  law,  was  the  origin. 
But  some  may  retort,  and  say,  if  the  law  had  not  been  made, 
could  sin  have  existed  ?  We  answer,  no !  nor  virtue  either ; 
and  moreover,  had  not  God  made  man  at  all,  he  then  could  not 
have  sinned :  and  accordingly,  as  much  blame  is  to  be  charged 
on  the  act  of  creation,  as  upon  a  law  given  for  the  happiness  of 
intellectual  beings,  but  the  truth  is,  neither  are  to  blame. 

Balfour  in  his  comment — see  his  Enquiry,  page  137— on  Heb. 
ii.  11,  15,  where  St.  Paul  states  that  the  object  of  Christ  com 
ing  into  our  world,  was  to  destroy  him  who  had  the  power  of 
death,  that  is,  the  devil ;  endeavors  to  make  out  that  the  devil 
there  meant  by  St.  Paul,  is  the  lusts  of  men,  and  that  this  lust 
was  engendered  by  the  law  of  God :  and  that  St.  Paul  among 
other  things,  thanked  God  for  the  victory  over  the  law.  Who- 
ever heard  the  like ;  when  it  is  acknowledged  as  a  cardinal  point 
of  the  New  Testament,  that  love  to  God  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law  of  God ;  and  did  St.  Paul  then  give  thanks  that  he  had  the 
victory  over  love,  and  consequently  was  not  under  its  bondage  : 
although  it  is  called  even  by  that  apostle  the  law  of  liberty. 

This  is  the  kind  of  liberty  Universalists  appear  to  be  fond  of; 
that  of  victory  over  the  law  of  God,  and  all  the  sanctions  of  his 
government ;  and  no  wonder  Balfour  imagines  St.  Paul  gave 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  133 

thanks  even  to  God,  for  victory  over  the  law  of  God :  a  conclu- 
sion of  all  others  the  most  out  of  joint,  and  novel. 

Were  we  to  helieve  that  the  passions  of  Eve  were  lusts,  which 
were  created  in  her  mind,  as  she  came  from  the  hand  of  God, 
the  following  simile  would  he  discriptive  of  her  condition.  Her 
lust,  as  Balfour  calls  her  first  and  innocent  desires,  we  will  rep- 
resent hy  a  magazine  of  powder ;  and  the  law  of  God,  which 
said  thou  shall  not  touch  nor  taste  the  fruit  of  a  certain  tree,  we 
will  signify  by  a  red  hot  iron ;  now  as  soon  as  this  hot  iron,  the 
law,  came  in  contact  with  Eve's  lusts,  which  was  the  powder, 
there  was  an  explosion,  which  shook  the  universe  ;  the  trembling 
of  which  has  not  yet  subsided,  nor  the  ruin  produced  through  all 
the  ranks  of  our  race.  But,  in  such  a  case,  who  was  to  blame? 
was  not  that  power  which  made  the  powder  and  then  heat  the  iron 
and  applied  it  to  that  combustible ')  we  should  answer,  it  would 
seem  so  beyond  a  doubt.  But  we  deny  that  Eve  had  any  lusts, 
while  we  do  not  doubt  she  had  desires  and  passions,  for  as  much 
may  be  said  of  an  angel  of  heaven,  or  of  the  human  soul,  in  a 
glorified  condition  in  eternity,  as  there  can  be  no  such  condition 
in  this  or  any  other  life,  as  that  of  indifference,  or  nonentity  of 
desire.  The  fact  of  her  having  desires,  therefore,  cannot  prove 
that  they  must  of  necessity  have  produced  opposition  to  the  law 
of  God,  so  soon  as  the  law  should  be  made  known  to  her,  any 
more  than  the  government  of  God  can  have  such  an  effect  now 
in  heaven. 

This  writer  imagines  he  proves  much  against  the  being  of  a 
fallen  angel  called  Satan,  because  St.  Paul,  2d  Cor.  xv.  57,  thanks 
God  for  the  victory  through  Jesus  Christ,  over  death,  the  grave, 
and  sin  ;  but  does  not  mention  any  thing  about  the  devil.  He 
seems  to  think  that  if  St.  Paul  tells  the  truth  in  Heb.  ii.  14,  where 
he  says  the  devil  lias  the  power  of  death,  that  he  ought  to  have 
given  thanks  for  victory  over  the  devil.  But  dear  reader,  if  you 
or  me  get  the  victory  over  an  enemy's  works  and  all  his  power, 
is  not  that  a  victory  over  the  operator  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
so  far  as  regards  his  influence.  It  was,  however,  no  part  of  St. 
Paul's  business,  nor  of  any  other  Christian  under  heaven,  to  get 
the  victory  over  the  person  and  influence  of  Satan  ;  this  is  a  mat 
ter  which  belongs  to  the  Son  of  God,  while  man's  business  is 
merely  to  resist  that  evil  spirit,  in  a  specified  manner,  which  if 
we  do,  it  is  promised  that  he  will  flee  from,  us.  We  are  not 
called  to  grapple  personally  with  Satan,  and  to  achieve  victories 
over  him  in  this  way,  but  are  to  resist  his  temptations  and  Satanic 
influence,  on  and  in  our  minds,  by  obedience  to  the  law  and 
commands  of  God,  through  grace  in  the  Mediator. 

The  writer  of  the  book  u  Wisdom  of  Solomon"  see  Apocry- 
pha, ii.  24,  believed  in  the  beincr  of  a  fallen  angel  called  the  devil, 
who  says,  that  "through  envy  of  the  devil,  came  death  into  the 
world."     This  idea,  says  Balfour  in  his  Enquiry,  page  SO,  is  an 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

allusion  to  Genesis,  iii. — from  "  which  Christians  have  derived 
the  idea  that  it  was  the  devil  that  deceived  Eve,"  and  adds,  if  they 
can  show  a  better  source  for  this  opinion,  he  hopes  it  will  be 
done.  But  really,  we  do  not  see  that  better  authority  is  needed, 
than  the  account  as  given  by  Moses,  Genesis  iii.,  see  the  whole 
chapter  ;  and  because  the  writer  of  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  which 
was  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  believed  as  we  do  on  the  reading 
of  that  account,  and  has  so  stated  his  belief,  can  be  no  reason 
in  our  mind  why  the  authority  of  the  statement  of  Moses,  is  les- 
sened about  it.  Balfour,  with  all  Universalists,  who  are  extreme- 
ly anxious  to  annihilate  the  devil — for  reasons  best  known  to 
themselves — seem  to  think  that  Moses  should  have  said  in  plain 
words,  that  the  devil,  or  Satan,  said  thus  and  thus  unto  the 
woman,  instead  of  saying  the  serpent,  &c,  said  &c,  and  then 
the  subject  would  have  been  clear,  and  his  being  could  not  then 
have  become  a  subject  of  dispute.  Now  we  believe  he  did  say 
so,  in  that  same  3d  chapter  of  Genesis.  See  our  remarks  on  the 
Hebrew  words  Naehas,  Nachashti,  dec,  in  the  former  part  of 
this  work  ;  where  we  have  shown  that  Nachash  was  rendered 
improperly  by  the  Greek  translators,  Ophi,  but  should  have  been 
rendered  Pithekos,  which  is  the  word  in  Greek  for  the  Ape,  or 
Orang-outang.  We  have  shown,  as  we  believe,  that  the  He- 
brew words  Nuchas  and  Kooph,  and  the  Arabic  words  K-ha- 
nass  and  K-ha-noos,  were  the  same  in  signification  in  the  family 
of  Abraham,  and  in  the  time  of  Moses  ;  as  the  Arabic  and  ancient 
Hebrew  are  of  the  same  origin.  We  have  shown  that  the  words 
K-ha-nass  and  K-ha-noos,  in  the  Arabic  is  an  Ape  or  Orang- 
outang, and  is  also  the  name  of  the  devil  in  that  language,  and 
accordingly,  Nachash  was  the  same  in  the  Hebrew ;  so  that  if 
Moses  had  written,  now  the  Kooph,  or  the  K-ha-nass,  or  K-ha- 
noos,  was  more  subtil  than  any  beast  of  the  field,  it  would  have 
been  just  as  proper  as  was  the  word  Nachash,  as  they  all  allude 
to  the  same  creature,  and  were  the  same  in  meaning.  Now, 
unless  this  is  a  right  view  of  this  criticism,  on  those  Hebrew  and 
Arabic  words,  we  should  like  to  know  how  St.  Paul,  2d  Cor.  xi. 
3,  could  there  speak  of  the  serpent  as  beguiling  Eve,  unless  he 
means  the  Arabic  K-ha-noos,  which  is  the  devil ;  because  St. 
Paul  knew,  that  no  animal  had  the  power  to  mislead  any  human 
bein£,  by  acts  of  sophistry,  as  that  K-ha-noos  did  the  mother 
of  us  all.  St.  Paul  was  a  Hebrew  scholar  of  the  first  order,  and 
knew  well,  that  Nachash,  Kooph,  and  K-ha-noos,  were  indif- 
ferent words  in  the  language  of  Moses,  and  does  not,  therefore, 
hesitate  to  say,  as  does  John  the  Revelator,  xii.  9,  that  the  being 
who  beguiled  Eve  and  the  whole  world,  was  the  devil,  not  Eve's 
lusts ;  because  at  that  time,  she  had  no  lust,  such  as  now  cor- 
rupts the  human  mind,  fallen  as  we  are  from  our  first  condition 
in  our  first  parents. 

We  ask  Mr.  Balfour  with  all  others  who  hold  with  him  in  this 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  135 

thing,  how  they  make  out  that  Eve's  nature  was  any  worse  after 
her  commission  of  the  breach  of  the  command  than  it  was  before, 
as  there  certainly  was  on  their  hypothesis,  a  disposition  in  her 
to  sin  before  she  did  the  act,  which  disposition  was  sin  itself, 
and  therefore  ascertains  her  to  be  already  as  wicked  the  very 
moment  she  became  a  conscious  being  as  she  ever  was  afterward. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  the  serpent,  which  was  her  lusts 
according  to  Balfour,  had  conceived  the  plan  of  disobedience  and 
had  determined  to  execute  it ;  which  determination  was  as  much 
a  sin  in  the  sight  of  God  as  the  act  itself,  because  God  looketh  on 
the  heart,  and  is  an  observer  of  the  intents  of  the  mind.  But 
did  God  produce  a  creature  of  this  sort  ?  Never — it  was  impos- 
sible. He  cannot  make  a  natural  rebel  to  himself — it  is  morally 
impossible  ;  yet  such  icas  the  fact,  if  that  being  or  thing  called  a 
serpent  in  our  language,  which  misled  the  woman  by  sophistry 
of  which  her  innocence  was  incapable,  was  her  lusts. 

But  now  that  man  has  fallen  he  has  lusts  and  inherent  capa- 
cities, which  are  in  and  of  themselves  ready  to  explode  and  to 
manifest  themselves  the  very  instant  moral  law  is  announced  of 
God  for  the  government  of  the  human  soul.  This  is  the  reason 
St.  Paul  said  he  had  not  known  lust  but  by  the  law,  for  the  very 
reason  that  the  incipient  principle  had  not,  till  the  law  on  the 
commandment  came,  found  any  thing  to  resist.  But  such  was 
not  the  condition  of  Eve  ;  unless  we  can  believe  that  her  spirit 
before  she  fell  and  our  spirits  now  that  we  are  fallen,  were  in  one 
and  the  same  condition ;  which,  were  it  so,  would  make  out  that 
mankind  is  not  now  fallen  or  depraved. 

The  word  in  therHebrew  which  is  rendered  lust,  into  the  Greek 
language  is  aout  ;  see  Deut.  ii.  15,  20 :  the  Greek  word  is  Epi- 
thumia,  and  in  our  language  it  is  lust,  concupiscence  and  libidi- 
ousness,  or  wicked  desires  of  any  kind.  Lusts  and  innocent  de- 
sire are  different  in  their  nature,  but  Balfour  makes  them  one  in 
the  primitive  mind  of  Eve,  which  is  charging  God  with  the  cor- 
ruption of 'her  nature;  which  were  it  so,  would  have  been  her 
and  all  the  world's  excuse ;  nay  more,  there  would  have  been  no 
sin  or  God  is  a  sinner  in  having  made  the  first  sinner,  which  is 
impossible. 

But  Balfour  thinks  that  Moses  having  found  out  the  snake 
was  the  most  cunning,  most  subtil,  the  most  understanding  and 
malignant  animal  of  creation,  chose  it  therefore,  as  a  figure  of 
her  mind  and  disposition.  But  there  is  much  to  prove,  ere  the 
snake  can  be  satisfactorily  relied  on,  as  having  been  at  that  time, 
or  even  now,  the  wisest  animal  of  creation.  Nay,  we  aver 
that  it  is  not,  by  an  immense  amount,  when  compared  with  the 
Orang-outang,  the  elephant,  or  even  the  dog.  But  it  should  be 
recollected,  that  Moses  does  not  say  the  serpent,  which  he  there 
speaks  of,  was  a  malignant  animal,  but  only  a  subtil,  or  under- 
standing animal ;  and  therefore,  Mr.  Balfour  fails  in  his  supposi- 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

tion,  that  Moses  chose  this  creature  to  portray  the  wickedness  ef 
the  pristine  mind  of  Eve,  before  her  sin.  It  were  a  strange  thing 
indeed,  had  Moses  selected  the  worst  and  most  malignant  reptile 
in  nature,  as  the  picture  and  representative  of  the  mind  of  the 
most  pure  and  exalted  creature  which  God  had  created  on  the 
earth.  Surely  inspiration  must  have  been  strangely  inclined  to 
ridicule,  and  slander  the  operation  of  Divine  Wisdom,  if  Mr.  Bal- 
four is  right  in  his  conjecture. 

From  every  view  we  are  able  to  take  of  this  subject,  we  are 
compelled  to  believe  in  the  existence  and  presence  of  a  fallen  an- 
gel, who  being  superior  in  subtilty  to  Eve,  had  the  power  to 
tempt  and  deceive  her  in  the  form  or  disguise  of  such  an  animal 
as  is  alluded  to  by  Moses  and  called  the  Nachash  or  K-ha-noos, 
as  no  animal  which  was  created  had  the  ability  to  do  so ;  nor  are 
we  at  liberty  to  imagine  that  Eve  had  wicked  lusts  in  her  which 
could  have  misled,  out-reasoned,  deceived  and  ruined  her,  prior 
to  her  fall,  if  we  wish  to  represent  the  Divine  Being  as  infinitely 
good  and  holy,  in  the  operation  of  his  hands. 

The  solution  which  Universalists  give  of  the  account,  as  given 
by  Moses,  respecting  the  serpent  which  beguiled  Eve,  makes  her 
tell  a  lie,  even  to  God,  when  she  replied  to  his  interrogation  of 
"  What  is  this  that  thou  hast  done  ?"  she  said  :  the  serpent 
beguiled  me ;  as  she  never  could  have  meant  that  an  animal 
had  caused  her  to  do  it,  if  it  was  herself  alone.  This  is  the  fair 
result,  unless  it  can  be  shown  that  she  said  in  reply  to  the  ques- 
tion that  it  was  the  Aout,  (Hebrew)  which  beguiled  her.  Had 
she  have  used  this  word,  it  would  then  have  been  a  clear 
case  that  she  meant  that  her  lusts  had  beguiled  her ;  but  this  she 
did  not  say :  while  she  did  say  that  the  Kooph,  or  the  Nachash 
had  done  it — which  words  did  not  signify  cither  herself  or  her 
passions. 

Now  if  Moses  only  meant  to  show  the  malignity  of  Eve's  state 
of  mind  by  the  figure  of  a  serpent,  because  it  was  the  worst 
animal  in  being ;  yet  there  was  no  need  of  his  saying  that  Eve 
had  said  so,  and  thus  make  her  the  author  of  a  falsehood,  if 
there  was  no  animal  in  the  case. 

But  says  an  objector,  did  Eve  mean  to  tell  the  Lord,  that  the 
devil,  or  an  evil  spirit,  a  distinct  being  from  herself,  had  beguiled 
her  ?  We  answer — no ;  for  at  that  time  it  cannot  be  supposed 
that  she  knew  any  thing  of  such  a  being  ;  she  therefore  said  that 
the  Nachash,  an  animal — if  it  was  so  called  at  that  time — had 
done  it.  This  was  a  proper  answer  for  her  to  give,  as  she  had 
seen  and  conversed  with  nothing,  in  her  estimation,  but  that 
animal — the  Nachash  ;  as  the  evil  being  who  had  possessed  it, 
was  all  that  time  invisible,  but  caused  the  creature  to  open  its 
mouth,  and  to  utter  articulate  sounds,  clothed  with  argument  and 
sophistical  reasoning. 

According  to  the  Universalist  solution  of  this  subject,  she 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  137 

should  have  said  to  the  Lord,  that  it  was  herself,  her  passion*, 
which  had  beguiled  her,  instead  of  the  Nachash.  But  Moses- 
has  given  the  account  as  handed  down  to  him  by  the  tradition 
of  the  antedeluvian  patriarchs — and  especially  as  given  by  Mel- 
chesidek  to  Abraham — who  gave  it  to  Isaac,  and  Isaac  to  Jacob, 
and  from  him  it  descended  to  all  the  branches  of  his  race,  as  well 
as  to  the  Egyptians,  among  whom  Moses  was  brought  up ;  as 
well  as  among  the  Hebrews,  then  living  in  Egypt.  If  there  was 
no  animal  used  in  the  case,  it  is  certainly  an  uncalled  for  addi- 
tion to  the  account,  when  Moses  said,  that  Eve  said  the  Nachash 
had  deceived  her ;  when,  according  to  Universalist  writers,  it 
was  wholly  the  invention  of  Moses,  merely  to  illustrate  by  the 
serpent,  as  a  figure,  the  horrid  condition  of  Eve's  mind  at  the 
time  when  she  did  just  what  God  wanted  her  to  do,  by  the 
means  of  her  lusts,  as  implanted  in  her  soul  by  himself. 

Universalists,  in  their  ridicule  of  the  belief  which  orthodox 
people  hold  about  the  being  of  Satan,  as  having  entered  the  or- 
gans of  the  subtilist  beast  of  all  the  field,  to  deceive  Eve  ;  inquire 
with  much  archness,  and  certainty  of  not  being  answered,  why 
God  should  have  cursed  the  poor  animal,  as  it  could  not  have 
been  to  blame,  having  been  only  a  passive  instrument  in  the 
hands  of  this  fallen  angel?  To  this  it  is  answered,  that  the 
curse  did  the  creature  no  harm,  as  it  does  not  appear  that  it  was 
put  in  pain  on  that  account,  or  that  it  ever  knew  any  thing  about 
it ;  being  of  necessity  ignorant  that  any  change  had  passed  upon 
it.  Why  then  was  it  cursed  at  all  ?  simply  for  this  reason,  is 
our  reply :  by  that  act  of  God,  a  perpetual  momento  of  the  Divine 
Being's  dipleasure  against  the  sin  of  Eve,  was  established,  which 
not  only  subjugated  the  woman  to  pain  and  death,  with  all  her 
offspring,  but  extended  to  the  very  instrument  of  that  sin,  as 
descriptive  of  the  Supreme  Being's  displeasure  at  the  act.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  earth,  whose  soil  was  also  cursed ;  the 
meaning  of  which,  is  doubtless,  that  a  great  change  was  allowed, 
or  caused  to  take  place  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  globe,  so  that 
the  very  elements  fell  into  conflict,  producing  more  heat,  hu- 
midity, and  more  cold,  than  otherwise  would  have  been,  if  the 
soil  had  not  been  thus  cursed,  or  changed  for  the  worse,  on  ac- 
count of  Adam's  sin.  The  Divine  Being  could  have  sustained 
the  earth  and  the  elements  in  its  first  perfection  and  beauty ; 
there  was  no  necessity,  following  as  a  consequence  of  sin,  that 
the  earth  should  be  thus  affected  ;  but  God,  to  show  his  marked 
displeasure  at  sin,  has,  as  it  were,  almost  abandoned  his  support 
of  the  earth,  and  allowed  it  to  fall  into  a  state  of  partial  confusion, 
that  man  may  have  forever  before  his  eyes  the  signs  of  his  sin, 
stamped  on  the  very  circumstances  which  ministefto  his  natural 
life  ;  yet  of  all  this  the  earth  knows  nothing,  and  is  not  wronged 
any  more  than  was  the  animal.  But  if  it  be  insisted  still,  that 
there  was  no  animal  in  the  case,  but  Eve's  lust  only,  we  should 

9 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

like  to  be  informed  what  part,  or  on  which  side  of  her  lust  it  is 
considered  the  belly  was  situated,  because  it  was  said,  on  thy 
belly  shalt  thou  go;  a  belly  therefore,  should  somewhere,  or 
somehow  be  accounted  for,  or  the  language  of  inspiration  in  this 
case  seems  to  have  no  meaning.  But  if  we  receive  the  account 
as  it  is  written,  and  allow  the  existence  of  a  fallen  angel,  now 
known  to  Scripture  as  the  devil,  who  made  use  of  an  animal,  so 
as  to  bring  himself  into  a  tangible  situation  in  relation  to  Eve, 
then  all  the  language  of  that  account,  as  given  in  Genesis,  is 
consistent,  and  easy  to  be  understood,  and  not  otherwise. 

Some  have  imagined,  that  by  this  account  of  the  sinning 
angels,  as  given  by  St.  Jude,  is  meant  the  apostacy  of  some  of 
the  early  ??iinislers  of  Christianity,  and  that  the  chains  of  dark- 
ness^ and  the  hell  into  which  they  were  cast,  was  their  ignorance 
and  misery  of  mind ;  and  that  the  judgment  for  which  they 
were  reserved,  was  the  destruction  of  the  city  and  nation  of  the 
Jews,  by  the  Romans  under  Titus.  This  idea,  is  as  foolish  and 
as  lame  a  solution,  perhaps  as  can  well  be  invented  ;  because  it 
is  impossible  to  show,  that  any  of  the  first  angels  or  ministers  of 
the  gospel  apostatized  at  all,  except  Hymenus  and  Philetus ;  and 
even  if  there  were  others,  and  the  account  is  not  given  us,  yet  it 
is  impossible  to  show  that  they  did  not  return  again  ;  or  if  it  be 
supposed  they  did  not,  yet  still  it  is  impossible  to  show  that  they 
lived  till  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  that  city.  And  unless 
that  can  be  proved,  this  notion  is  without  the  shadow  of  a  foun- 
dation, while  the  belief  that  they  were  superhuman  angels,  who 
thus  fell,  as  stated  by  Str  Jude,  St.  Peter,  and  St.  John,  as  alluded 
to  in  many  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament  remains  steadfast. 
If  then  we  have  succeeded  in  showing  that  those  angels  were 
superhuman  beings,  and  fell  from  a  superhuman  condition,  and 
state  of  happiness,  called  their  own  habitation  and  first  estate, 
we  shall  now  proceed  to  examine  the  maimer  of  their  fall,  the 
cause  of  Satan,  and  how  it  may  have  taken  place. 


Fall  of  the  Angels,  and  Cause  of  Satan's  Being  ;  with  other 
Subjects  connected  therewith. 

We  have  supposed  already,  as  the  reader  may  recollect,  that 
the  angels  were  not  put  on  trial  or  probation  immediately  after 
their  creation,  but  were  left  awhile  in  an  incipient  state,  or  con- 
dition, for  a  purpose  which  we  have  before  stated,  till  such  time, 
or  times,  as  the  Creator  should  see  fit  to  reveal  himself  to  them, 
as  the  author  of  their  being.  But  not,  however,  in  such  a  way 
and  manner,  or  with  such  degrees  of  evidence  of  that  fact,  as  to 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  139 

overwhelm  their  powers,  rendering-  thereby  the  gift  of  free  agency 
nugatory  and  without  opportunity  of  action,  so  as  to  prevent  their 
voluntary  acceptance  of  him  as  their  creator  and  rightful  king; 
as  on  this  point,  it  was  determined,  as  we  believe,  that  a  confir- 
mation and  continuance  of  their  happy  state  should  ensue. 

This  point  we  have  before  argued,  yet  in  this  place  for  the 
sake  of  perspicuity  we  will  repeat :  that  to  us  it  appears  a  mate- 
rial law  in  the  Divine  government,  not  to  astound  his  subjects 
on  probation,  with  an  overwhelming  amount  of  compulsory  evi- 
dence, in  relation  to  any  subject  to  be  presented  for  their  investi- 
gation and  belief;  but  rather  giving  that  quantum  of  evidence 
to  their  consideration,  which  should  exactly  harmonize  with  their 
degree  of  liberty  and  free  agency;  otherwise  than  this,  there 
could  have  been  no  trial  whether  they  would  have  chosen  good 
or  evil,  free  agency  would  have  been  out  of  the  question,  as  no 
room  under  such  circumstances,  could  be  found  for  its  exercise, 
as  before  remarked. 

But,  in  pursuance  of  this  subject,  we  wish  not  to  forget,  that 
we  are  now  at  an  amazing  height  in  theology ;  even  laboring  at 
the  point  where  sin  had  its  origin  ;  and  if  we  ask  the  question  at 
all,  we  will  ask  it  here  :  Why,  if  God  foreknew,  as  he  certainly 
did,  that  man,  and  some  angels,  would  fall,  and  the  latter  beyond 
recovery,  while  also  many  of  the  former  would  be  finally  lost ; 
why,  we  ask,  did  he  create  them  at  all  ?  why  not  prefer  for  them 
an  eternal  state  of  nonentity  as  to  their  existence,  rather  than  to 
bring  into  a  conscious  condition,  beings  capable  of  endless  dura- 
tion, and  of  endless  sufferings?  As  to  this  question,  we  have 
satisfied  our  own  mind  in  the  following  manner,  by  supposing 
the  Creator  may  have  thus  communed  with  himself,  on  this 
very  subject,  long  before  he  created  any  thing.  Not  that  we 
believe  in  a  succession  of  ideas  in  the  Divine  mind,  yet  as  we 
have  no  other  way  to  express  ourselves  on  such  a  point,  we  have 
said  that  he  may  have  thus  communed  with  himself  on  the  sub- 
ject of  intellectual  creation,  as  follows :  I  am  that  I  am,  the 
Eternal  God,  there  is  none  beside  me,  and  shall  never  be  fully 
known  to  any  but  myself;  and  from  the  benevolence  of  my 
nature,  or  attributes,  I  am  determined  to  bring  into  being  innu- 
merable existences  of  mind,  of  animals,  and  of  matter.  Mat- 
ter, I  know,  although  I  create  thousands  of  systems  of  worlds  of 
it,  yet  can  it  never  think,  know,  love,  obey,  ox  fear  me,  and  there- 
fore cannot  as  mere  matter,  unaccompanied  by  other  and  superior 
existences,  glorify  me  as  its  Creator,  not  having  a  knowledge 
even  of  its  own  substance  or  being.  And  though  I  were  to  peo- 
ple as  many  systems,  with  innumerable  animals,  having  no 
rational  powers ;  yet  these  cannot  know,  love,  fear,  or  glorify 
me  as  their  Creator;  for  neither  can  these  know,  that  even 
themselves  exist.  And,  therefore,  if  I  will  be  known,  loved, 
feared  and  glorified,  as  Creator  of  all  things,  1  shall  find  it  neces- 


140  HISTORY   OF    THE    FALLEN 

sary  to  bring  into  being  existences,  which  shall  be  endowed 
with  a  likeness  and  image  of  my  own  moral  and  eternal  intel- 
lect, on  which  account  such  beings  will  live  to  eternity,  coeval 
with  myself,  and  never  either  become  insensible,  or  cease  to 
be,  as  it  shall  relate  to  their  minds.  These  having  in  a  de- 
gree my  image,  as  it  relates  to  moral  powers  ;  and  as  it  relates 
to  eternity  of  being,  my  full  likeness,  forth  forward  from  the 
time  of  their  creation,  will,  in  distinction  from  all  matter, 
whether  animate  or  inanimate,  have  a  power  of  perception, 
so  as  to  be  able,  not  only  to  know  that  they  themselves  exist, 
but  also  in  proportion  as  I  will  reveal  myself  to  them,  may 
know,  love,  obey  and  glorify  me.  By  this  means,  therefore, 
though  I  create  myriads  of  systems  of  matter,  in  the  form 
of  globes,  or  worlds,  and  shall  people  them  with  as  many  kinds 
of  animals ;  yet  all  these,  though  they  cannot  know  either 
themselves  or  me,  shall  glorify  me,  as  through  them  in  a 
measure,  my  eternal  power  and  Godhead  shall  be  known,  to 
such  beings  as  I  shall  make  in  my  image  and  likeness.  But 
I  must  not  only  endow  them  with  a  measure  of  rational  under- 
standing, but  also  with  the  power  of  moral  freedom  of  will, 
or  they  will  not  be  able  to  make  use  of  their  understanding; 
which  if  they  cannot,  will  be  to  them  a  useless  attribute,  and 
a  useless  attribute  is  the  same  as  none  at  all :  for  as  I  am  a 
free  spirit,  a  portion  of  this  principle  must  be  given  them,  as 
the  crown  of  their  intellectual  natures,  and  my  peculiar  like- 
ness. By  this,  they  will  be  constituted  intellectual  free 
agents,  having  power  to  will  and  to  do,  in  a  limited  sense ; 
but  not  so  limited,  however,  as  that  their  acts  shall  not  be 
their  own,  and  their  vice  or  their  virtue  their  own,  not  mine. 
If  this  is  not  done,  they  will  not  be  above  that  grade  of  my 
works  comprehending  mere  animals,  and  therefore,  incapable 
of  moral  action  and  moral  accountability,  and  in  such  a  con- 
dition can  never  know,  love,  obey,  nor  glorify  me,  as  their 
Creator  ;  yet  if  I  shall  thus  endow  them  with  freedom  of  will, 
or  in  other  words  constitute  them  free  agents,  in  the  volitions 
of  their  mind  ;  then  they  will  most  assuredly  be  liable  to  fall, 
and  to  apostatize  from  me,  and  loose  the  holy,  innocent,  up- 
right state,  in  which  I,  as  God,  can  do  no  otherwise  than  cre- 
ate them,  as  I  can  never  create  that  which  is  evil,  or  having 
any  tendency  thitherward,  for  liability  and  tendency  are  two 
distinct  principles.  But  if  I  do  not  thus  endow  them,  then 
they  cannot  act  freely,  and  can  never  be  moral  agents,  nor  in 
any  degree  be  above  that  scale  of  existences  which  will  dis- 
tinguish the  brute  creation  ;  who  can  never  act,  except  as  the 
law  of  instinct  and  sensation  shall  direct ;  for  which  reason 
it  is  impossible  for  them  to  be  accountable  for  their  acts,  as 
there  will  be  no  intellectual  moral  freedom  of  choice  in  their 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  141 

power.  Under  such  circumstances,  should  I  give  them  a  law, 
it  cannot  be  such  a  law  as  shall  make  them  accountable,  as  it 
will  not  be  possible  for  them  to  err  in  a  moral  sense,  as  they 
will  act  only  as  they  shall  be  acted  upon  ;  moral  law  to  such 
beings  cannot  be  in  any  sense  applicable. 

In  the  creation  of  mind  and  matter,  1  seek  my  own  declara- 
tive glory,  by  communicating  a  knowledge  of  myself  to  the 
intellectual  part  of  my  works  ;  and  in  return,  desire  to  receive 
their  love,  obedience  and  adoration,  which,  if  performed,  will 
insure  their  happiness,  and  shall  be  required  in  the  nature  of 
such  laws  as  I  shall  adapt  to  their  state  of  being.  But  if  I  do 
not  make  rational  moral  free  agents,  then  shall  I  be  forever 
prevented  from  being  declaratively  glorified,  as  no  other  kind 
of  being  can  do  it,  but  such  as  shall  have  this  tremendous 
qualification  ;  and  in  consequence,  so  far  as  it  can  relate  to 
my  declared  glory,  will  be  the  same  as  if  I  should  never  create 
anything  at  all.  1  therefore  determine  to  create  such  beings 
as  shall  be  intellectually  free  to  act  morally  right  or  wrong, 
as  they  alone  may  elect ;  otherwise  than  this,  it  will  be  im- 
possible for  me  to  introduce  beings  into  existence  having 
capacities  of  intellectual  happiness,  and  will  baffle  my  great 
design  of  endless  benevolence,  and  of  being  thus  glorified  by 
the  works  of  my  hands,  and  to  manifest  the  glory  of  my  power. 
But  should  I  make  angels  and  men,  in  such  a  condition  as  to 
them  shall  appear  that  they  act  freely,  but  in  fact  shall  not  be 
free,  and  on  that  account  should  enter  into  judgment  with 
them,  if  any  should  err ;  when  at  the  same  time  I  shall  know 
that  my  unseen  power  propels  them  to  every  action,  and  that 
their  doings  will  be  but  the  echo  of  my  own  will,  and  that  I 
could  succeed  in  hiding  this  fact  from  them  to  all  eternity  ; 
yet  in  me,  such  a  procedure  could  never  be  sanctioned  by 
my  holiness,  and  therefore  such  a  state  of  things  can  never 
take  place,  because  it  would  be  morally  inconsistent,  and 
therefore  impossible,  under  the  administration  of  heaven. 
And  now  that  the  subject  has  been  duly  weighed  in  the  eter- 
nal mind,  as  it  relates  to  the  condition  in  which  I  will  produce 
intellectual  beings,  and  find  it  can  be  no  otherwise  accom- 
plished ;  shall  it,  therefore,  be  done  ?  seeing  I  foreknow  that 
some  will  abuse  this  amazing  qualification  of  their  being:, 
which  is  free  agency,  and  descend  to  unutterable  ruin, 
whether  redeemed  or  not.  Benevolence  being  a  trait  and  an 
attribute  of  my  nature,  as  well  as  that  of  omniscence,  is  it 
consistent  with  that  benevolence  that  I  shall  create  beings  and 
endow  them  with  so  fearful  a  power,  which  will  put  ruin  with- 
in their  reach,  seeing  I  also  know  that  some  ivill  abuse  that 
power,  to  their  own  endless  destruction  ?  //  is  consistent': 
inasmuch  as  the  creation  of  that  power  cannot  be  the  cause  of 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

their  ruin,  nor  the  possession  of  that  power,  nor  any  secret 
operation  of  mine ;  but  solely  its  abuse  and  pervertion  to  pur- 
poses which  can  never  be  sanctioned  by  my  holiness,  will  be  the 
real  and  only  cause  of  sin,  and  their  destruction.  I  shall  there- 
fore create  them  thus ;  for  if  I  do  not,  they  cannot  be  moral 
agents,  and  never  can  enjoy  true  intellectual  happiness,  and  will 
compel  me  to  create,  if  I  will  create  at  all,  nothing  higher  than 
mere  irresponsible  animals,  and  the  globes  on  which  they  must 
subsist,  whose  mere  existence  can  bring  no  glory  to  my  great 
name,  under  such  circumstances,  and  therefore  I  may  as  well 
renounce  forever  any  such  operation.  But  I  shall  not  renounce 
it,  as  it  is  consistent  to  create  beings  with  this  exceeding  endow- 
ment ;  for  if  I  do  not,  my  declarative  honor  will  be  forever 
prevented ;  and  besides  this,  shall  I  suffer  the  foreseen  evil  and 
apostacy  of  so?jic,  to  prevent  me  of  the  creation  of  countless 
myriads  of  others,  whom  I  know  will  not  abuse  that  gift,  and 
will  remain  forever  happy?  shall  I  suffer  some  evil  foreseen,  to 
overcome  and  prevent  an  immensity  of  good,  as  it  shall  relate  to 
others,  who  will  not  abuse  that  power?  But  were  it  foreseen  of 
me,  that  more  evil  will  ensue  from  the  abuse  of  free  agency 
among  the  moral  beings  which  I  am  able  to  produce,  than  good, 
then  a  reason  why  creation  should  not  be  allowed  to  proceed, 
from  motives  of  universal  benevolence,  would  seem  to  be  afford- 
ed ;  yet  even  under  such  a  predicament,  as  that  of  the  existence 
of  more  evil  than  good,  the  principle  of  benevolence  in  me, 
would  remain  unimpeached,  as  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  will  the 
ruin  of  any  part  of  my  intellectual  creation,  however  I  may  fore- 
see the  abuse  of  my  gifts  ;  which  abuse  will  be  their  ruin,  but  not 
by  my  will.  But  if  the  gift  of  free  agency  shall  render  all  liable, 
may  not  all  the  intellectual  beings  which  I  may  bring  into  being, 
descend  into  a  state  of  ruin  ?  this  is  even  possible,  and  may  so 
turn  out,  as  my  mere  foreknowledge  of  events  can  have  no  influ- 
ence on  the  action  of  free  creatures.  And  if  I  will  continue  to 
them  the  power  of  free  agency,  I,  even  I,  cannot  prevent  their  fall 
by  sin,  as  it  is  a  free  principle,  and  cannot  otherwise  exist,  than 
by  its  own  freedom,  which  I  will  not  destroy  out  of  their  natures ; 
for  were  I  to  do  this,  it  would  be  to  render  them  unaccountable, 
and  to  retrench  a  part,  and  the  most  beautiful  part  of  my  intel- 
lectual creation.  But  on  the  other  hand,  is  it  not  equally  possible 
by  virtue  of  this  ennobling  gift,  that  none  of  all  the  myriads  of 
intellectual  beings  which  I  may  cause  to  exist,  will  abuse  their 
gift  of  free  agency,  and  therefore  may,  if  they  will,  live  forever 
in  a  state  of  progressive  perfection ;  yet  even  such  a  state  of 
things  cannot  ensue,  merely  because  I  foreknow  all  events ; 
but  because  they  can  will  obedience  to  me,  which  power  will  be 
the  very  design  of  their  liberty  of  will,  and  glory  of  their  natures. 
Rut  on  the  principle  of  my  foreknowledge  of  their  abuse  of  this 
free  power  ;  how  is  it,  as  a  principle,  either  consistent  or  bencvo- 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  143 

lent  for  me  to  create  such  beings  or  individuals  at  all?  on  this 
ground,  and  this  alone,  it  is  answered  :  I  shall  he  benevolent  in 
design,  and  for  the  same  reason  shall  be  consistent  in  principle, 
as  inconsistent  benevolence  cannot  find  a  place  in  the  Divine 
mind.  There  is  no  reason,  therefore,  that  foreseen  evil  should 
prevent  the  operations  of  my  hand,  if  such  foreseen  evil  shall 
arise  solely  out  of  the  abuse  of  high  and  holy  privileges,  but  not 
out  of  my  works,  as  a  matter  of  necessity.  Could  such  an  event 
transpire,  as  that  sin  and  moral  ruin  should  arise,  as  a  matter  of 
course  or  necessity,  out  of  the  operations  of  my  hands,  then 
indeed  will  it  be  seen  of  those  to  whom  intellectual  perception 
shall  be  given,  that  my  wisdom,  my  goodness  and  ability  to 
arrange  and  create  orders  and  systems  of  being  without  containing 
in  them  the  germs  of  dissolution,  and  moral  damnation,  does  not 
exist ;  which  is  not  according  to  truth ;  but  were  it  so,  would 
argue  me,  and  more  than  argue,  would  prove  me,  in  the  view  of 
such  beings,  a  God  for  enough  from  possessing  consistent  unlim- 
ited power,  wisdom  and  goodness.  But  I  am  certainly  able  to 
produce  beings  of  such  moral  powers,  and  having  such  degrees 
of  free  agency  as  shall  enable  them  to  decide  their  own  happi- 
ness, or  their  own  misery,  by  the  abuse  or  the  right  use  of  prin- 
ciples and  powers  which  I  can  give  them ;  or  I  am  not  entitled 
to  the  claim  of  universal  homage,  as  having  unlimited,  consistent 
power  and  goodness.  Were  I  -not  able  to  do  this,  then  were  it 
impossible  for  me  to  produce  beings  who  could  be  accountable  to 
me,  as  it  would  be  impossible,  on  that  account  to  address  to  their 
attention  moral  law.  as  moral  law  would  be  as  unfitly  applied  to 
beings  of  such  a  description,  as  to  the  beasts  of  the  wilderness, 
not  having  power  to  accept  and  obey,  or  to  reject  and  disobey. 
On  this  ground,  as  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  to  sin,  so  will 
it  be  equally  impossible  for  them  to  serve  me,  only  as  unthinking 
matter  shall  serve  me,  moving  only  as  it  shall  be  acted  upon, 
which  is  in  no  degree  intellectual  service.  But  I  do  know,  that 
a  vast  amount,  both  of  angels  and  men,  who  shall  people  heaven, 
and  the  worlds,  and  systems  of  worlds  which  I  will  frame,  will 
not  abuse  this  gift,  will  not  pervert  their  agency,  however  severe 
ly  they  may  be  tempted,  will  not  rebel  against  my  goodness,  to 
be  developed  in  my  laws  and  government ;  but  will  stand,  hold- 
ing fast  their  first  estate,  in  eternal  fruition  and  perpetuity,  by  a 
right  use  of  their  free  agency,  of  which  gift  I  will  be  the  author, 
and  will  ever  honor,  as  the  brightest  trait  in  their  intellectual 
being,  without  which  gift  their  being  can  be  of  no  real  value. 

Thus  we  have  satisfied  our  own  mind,  and,  as  we  think,  hive 
justified  the  Divine  Being  in  bringing  forward,  from  a  state  of 
non-existence,  the  creation  of  men  and  angels,  even  though 
he  knew  that  some  would  foil  away  from  their  first  condition  of 
innocence  ;  by  showing  that  his  design  was  benevolent,  and  that 
ke  could  not  have  willed  the  sin  and  ruin  of  any,  nor  have  made 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

them  accountable,  without  also  making  them  liable.  Sin,  there- 
lore,  came  into  beinof,  not  of  Gods  set  purpose,  but  from  the 
abuse  of  the  very  gift  which  constitutes  the  moral  existence  of 
all  intellectual  beings. 

But  says  the  Universalist,  who  objects  to  the  fact  of  man's  free 
agency,  as  qualified  by  the  orthodox  sects  of  religion ;  can  it  be 
maintained  that  a  good  and  powerful  father  can  be  consistently 
benevolent,  who  shall  bring  into  being  a  child,  and  then  put  a 
dangerous  weapon  in  that  child's  hand,  by  which  that  father 
foreknows  his  child  will  certainly  destroy  its  own  life  ?  we  think 
it  can  be  maintained,  but  on  one  ground,  and  on  no  other.  Pray 
what  ground  is  that  ?  it  is  this,  and  this  alone  ;  if  that  knife,  or 
weapon,  is  made  essential  to  the  whole  happiness  and  well  being 
of  the  child,  if  properly  used,  it  is  consistent,  as  without  it,  it 
could  not  be  happy. 

This  similie  illustrates  our  idea  of  intellectual  free  agency,  as 
without  it  intellectual  beings  cannot  be  happy,  though  it  is  a 
dangerous  gift.  Any  other  view,  of  this  subject  neutralizes  man's 
accountability  to  God,  either  in  this  life  or  the  life  to  come,  as 
well  as  to  himself,  or  to  his  fellow  man  ;  for  virtue  starts  from  th@ 
same  point,  where  sin  may  also  have  its  beginning. 


On  the  Mode  or  Manner  of  the   Trial  of  the  Angels,  and 
respecting  those  who  fell. 

But  to  return  again  to  the  main  point,  that  of  the  first  sin,  and 
reason  of  the  being  of  the  devil  or  Satan,  with  other  fallen  an- 
gels. But  what  light  is  there  that  shines  on  a  path  whose  track 
runs  over  so  high  a  region?  None,  except  that  of  mere  human 
research  and  speculation.  John  Milton,  the  greatest  of  English 
poets,  has  struck  out  for  himself,  in  blank  verse  the  most  exalted, 
way  over  this  moral  Alps,  as  found  in  his  Paradise  Lost,  the 
story  of  which  is  as  follows  : 

Long  before  the  creation  of  this  world,  or  any  part  of  the  solar 
system,  when  the  space  it  now  occupies  was  dark  and  void, 
when  chaos  reigned,  as  it  had  reigned  from  unbeginning  eter- 
nity ;  on  a  certain  day,  such  days  as  eternity  brings  forth,  all  the 
angels  or  first  beings,  were,  by  the  summons  of  the  Most  High, 
brought  immediately  around  the  throne  of  the  supreme  pre- 
>'Mice ;  who,  as  they  arrived,  took  their  places  according  to  their 
degrees  of  intellectual  excellence,  in  circles,  one  beyond  another, 
orb  encircling  orb,  of  circuits  inexpressible,  on  account  of  their 
multitudes.  From  all  the  ends  of  heaven  they  journeyed  on 
golden  wings,  under  their  various  hierarchs,  or  angcl-captains, 
waving  as  they  came  on,  myriads  of  ensigns,  standards  and  gon- 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES. 


147 


falons,  twixt  van  and  rear  serving  as  distinctions  of  their  various 
orders  and  degrees.  But  when  arrived  around  the  flaming 
throne  of  God,  which  arose  from  the  heights  of  a  mount,  whose 
top  was  involved  in  light  which  made  it  invisible,  silence  was 
required  :  then  the  glittering  wings  of  these  morning  stars  fell 
from  their  outspread  glories,  as  so  many  rotes  of  state,  in  majesty 
about  their  forms,  shrouding  all  their  lineaments  divine  in  the 
habiliments  of  light. 

Now  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  come  together,  from  all 
the  provinces  of  heaven,  was  announced  from  out  of  the  midst  of 
the  mount,  by  a  voice  which  sounded  as  the  roar  of  many  wa- 
ters, or  as  the  sound  of  many  thunders,  informing  them  that  it 
had  pleased  the  Creator  to  reveal  to  their  notice  a  character  and 
a  person,  of  whom  as  yet  they  knew  nothing.  This  person,  by 
that  voice  was  called  the  Son  of  God,  who  now  appeared  on  the 
summit  of  that  mount,  in  excessive  glory  and  beauty,  [See  the 
Plate)  bearing  the  human  form,  whom  all  the  angels  were  now 
required  to  worship  and  forever  obey.  This  mandate  heard, 
each  to  their  province  and  palace  of  abode  sped  their  way,  in 
ranks  and  orders  as  they  came,  peopling  heaven's  far  spread 
plains  with  the  sons  of  light,  seeming  well  pleased  with  their 
new  allegiance  to  this  before  unknown  Son  of  God.  But  it  soon 
appeared  that  all  were  not  thus  pleased,  as  there  was  one  among 
their  number  who  was  higher  than  all  the  rest,  the  only  arch- 
angel of  the  heavenly  powers,  and  the  brightest  of  the  celestial 
hosts  ;  who,  as  he  journeyed  on  rapid  wings,  far  from  the  throne 
of  God,  "  in  the  sides  of  the  north,"  whispered  treason  in  the  ear 
of  one  of  the  angels,  next  in  power  to  himself.  He  cautiously 
unveiled  his  mind  respecting  this  Son  of  God,  to  whom  knee- 
service,  as  he  called  it,  was  required ;  insinuating  that  himself, 
with  all  the  rest,  were  imposed  upon,  as  it  was  his  right,  not  this 
stranger's  to  receive  honor  and  obedience  from  all  the  angels,  as 
their  only  superior,  God  alone  excepted. 

Here,  according  to  Milton,  sin  had  its  origin,  commencing  in 
the  mind  of  this  spirit,  the  highest  free-agent  which  God  had 
made,  who  took  envy  at  the  Son,  whose  glory  and  majesty  ex- 
celled his  own,  with  attitudes  of  dignity  and  command,  far  sur- 
passing all  the  glories  of  angelic  natures — so  that  he  suffered  un- 
conquerable hatred  to  take  the  place  of  his  previously  happy  feel- 
ings of  subordination  and  peace  toward  the  Most  High.  The 
heresy  of  this  angel  soon  spread  among  the  sons  of  light,  and  at 
length  seduced  full  one-third  of  their  number ;  who,  embodying 
themselves  under  this  angel,  waged  war  upon  the  other  angels, 
who  would  not  receive  this  doctrine  of  opposition  to  the  Son  of 
God,  intending  to  besiege  and  conquer  the  throne  itself,  and  seize 
upon  unlimited  rule  in  heaven,  compelling  even  God  himself  to  a 
state  of  vassalage.  But  against  this  apostacy  all  the  other  angels 
contended  in  array  on  the  field  of  battle,  yet  without  success  or 


149  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

defeat  for  the  space  of  two  days ;  but  on  the  third  day,  the  Son  of 
God,  whom  they  had  despised,  entered  the  arena  alone  and  single 
handed,  against  this  mighty  boaster  and  traitor  of  heaven,  with 
all  his  company.  This  Son  of  the  Most  High,  whose  gentle  man- 
ners on  the  day  they  first  saw  him  they  had  despised,  now  put  on 
terrors  dreadful  and  severe,  gathering  in  his  countenance  frowns 
irresistible,  and  mounted  his  chariot  of  power,  whose  wheels  shook 
heaven,  all  but  the  throne  itself,  as  he  rolled  in  fury  toward  the 
rebel  ranks.  But  soon  he  arrived  among  them,  when  with  his 
right  hand  grasping  ten  thousand  thunders,  rolled  over  them 
such  a  storm  of  horror,  (See  the  Plate,)  as  reduced  their  courage, 
and,  astonished,  all  resistance  lost,  down  their  idle  weapons  dropt, 
while  o'er  shields  and  helmets,  and  helmed  heads,  he  rode ; 
thrones  and  powers,and  mighty  seraphim,  prostrate  on  the  ground 
crushed  and  bruised  beneath  his  force.  From  the  wheels,  as 
they  turned  swift  as  light,  there  shot  forth  storms  of  iron  arrows, 
while  there  glared  on  every  side  eyes  so  fierce  and  dreadful,  as 
quailed  the  stoutest  gaze  of  either  good  or  bad,  and  all  the  while 
voices  pealed  damnation,  through  their  being.  Yet  half  his 
strength  he  put  not  forth,  but  checked  his  thunders  in  mid  vol- 
ley, for  he  meant  not  to  annihilate,  but  to  drive  them  out  of  hea- 
ven, down  to  hell,  which  already  the  divine  vengeance  had  crea- 
ted for  them,  far  in  the  bowels  of  boundless  darkness. 

But  whether  such  were  the  mode  of  their  trial  we  doubt,  and 
have  therefore  chosen  another  hypothesis,  as  before  alluded  to, 
in  which  we  have  supposed  that  their  trial  proceeded  on  a  ques- 
tion respecting  their  creation  and  Creator,  rather  than  on  the 
revelation  of  an  unknown  person  in  company  with  the  God 
Head,  as  is  Milton's  opinion,  and  many  others  who  follow  him 
on  this  subject. 

But  to  us  it  appears  that  such  a  revelation  to  the  angels  was 
not  required,  as  the  announcement  of  the  Son  of  God  among 
men  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  could  no  way  affect  these  primitive 
beings,  for  good  or  ill,  but  only  as  a  subject  of  wonder  and  sur- 
prise, and  cause  of  admiration.  Yet  we  know  it  is  said,  Heb.  i. 
6,  in  relation  to  the  Son  of  God,  "  And  let  all  the  angels  of  God 
worship  him."  But  we  ask  when  was  this  said  to  the  angels, 
and  where  was  the  Son  of  God  when  they  were  thus  command- 
ed? Not  in  heaven,  for  there  he  was  never  known  previous  to 
his  incarnation,  as  the  Son  of  God,  having  forever  existed  as  the 
Word,  or  wisdom  of  God,  but  not  the  Son ;  as  it  was  in  this  life, 
among  men,  as  born  of  a  woman,  that  he  was  first  known  as  a 
Son,  as  it  was  said  to  Mary,  Luke  i.  35,  "  that  holy  thing  which 
shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God."  Shall  be, 
not  is  now,  nor  was  previously,  but  shall  be  so  called  when  he 
shall  be  born  of  the  woman. 

According  to  the  phraseology  of  Heb.  i.  6,  as  above  quoted,  it 
appears  to  have  been  a  new  commandment  to  the  angels,  or  why 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  151 

should  it  have  been  said,  that  they  should  (future)  worship  him 
if  they  had  always  known  him  in  heaven  ?  But  the  reader  will 
do  well  here  to  discriminate  the  peculiar  form  of  speech  made 
use  of  in  this  injunction  to  the  angels,  which  was,  that  they 
should  worship  him  when  u  He  (God)  bringeth  in  the  first  be- 
gotten into  the  world;"  and  to  us  is  sufficient  proof  that  the 
Son  was  an  adapted  term,  suited  to  his  incarnation,  and  not  to 
his  previous  being  from  everlasting,  the  fellow  of  the  Almighty, 
and  express  image  of  his  person.  On  which  account,  we  think 
Milton  has  failed  in  his  imagination,  in  supposing  that  the  trial 
of  the  angels  proceeded  on  the  ground  of  a  revelation  of  the  Son 
of  God  in  heaven,  as  at  that  time  no  Son  existed,  and  no  need 
of  such  a  revelation  to  that  class  of  beings  ;  but  to  men  prima- 
rily, and  to  angels  secondarily  on  man's  account. 

But  respecting  this  great  yet  rebelling  angel,  it  is  said — John, 
viii.  41 — -that  he  abode  not  in  the  truth :"  and  is  called  by  that 
Apostle,  the  devil,  and  father  of  all  the  wicked  ;  also,  "  a  mur- 
derer from  the  beginning  P  But  let  it  be  remembered,  that  this 
account  of  that  spirit,  is  Christ's  ;  who  knew  him — as  he  was  his 
Creator,  as  a  good  angel ;  and  when  he  fell  from  his  first  condi- 
tion, and  the  reason  or  cause  of  that  fall — on  which  account,  he 
could  give  that  description  of  him,  which  admits  of  no  doubt  or 
controversy  ;  which  says  that  he  was  a  murderer  from  the  begin- 
ning. But  what  beginning  is  this,  to  which  he  alludes  ?  We 
answer, — the  beginning  of  his  apostacy,  in  heaven.  But  how 
was  he  a  murderer  ?  This  is  also  answered : — by  his  propos- 
ing and  aiding  a  revolt  among  the  angels  of  God  ;  which,  when 
for  themselves  they  had  sanctioned,  originated  sin  in  their  own 
individual  natures,  and  was  the  seal  of  their  moral  death,  and 
banishment  from  their  first  condition ;  for  which  reason,  he  is 
called  a  murderer,  as  it  was  in  his  will  to  destroy  the  works  of 
his  Creator,  as  far  as  possible,  or  as  lay  wi thing  the  reach  of  his 
subtilty.  But  he  abode  not  in  the  truth.  Now  what  truth  was  that 
in  which  he  did  not  abide ;  the  forsaking  of  which,  produced  so 
great  a  change  in  his  nature,  and  state  of  being?  It  could  not 
have  been  the  truth  which  God  announced  to  Adam  ;  that  his 
moral,  as  well  as  his  natural,  or  animal  life,  depended  on  his 
obedience  to  the  law  he  gave  him,  respecting  the  tree  and  its 
fruit ;  as  such  a  test,  or  such  a  law,  could  not  have  suited  the 
condition  of  an  immaterial  being,  such  as  Satan  is.  It  is  true, 
however,  that  this  spirit  contradicted  to  Eve,  the  consequences  of 
which  God  had  forewarned  her,  and  her  husband,  if  they 
touched  the  tree  ;  but  it  does  not  appear,  that  this  truth  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  angels ;  and  cannot,  therefore,  be  said  to  be  the 
truth,  from  which  this  fallen  angel  had  departed ;  as  he  had 
never  been  interested  in  it,  for  himself.  It  is  easily  shown  that 
he  was  a  sinning  angel,  previous  to  the  transgression  of  Adam  j 
in  the  fact  of  his  having  entered  into  the  mental  organs  of  the 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

animal  called  the  subtilist  beast  of  all  the  field,  even  before  the 
conversation  took  place,  between  it  and  the  woman,  about  that 
commandment,  respecting  a  certain  tree  and  its  fruit.  But  we 
can  go  still  further  back,  in  showing  that  spirit  to  have  been  a 
rebel  against  God  and  his  creation,  than  even  the  commencement 
of  his  temptation,  to  seduce  our  common  mother,  by  means  of  the 
creature  called  a  serpent,  or  k-ha-noos  ;  as  previous  to  his  posses- 
sing the  organs  of  that  animal,  he  must  have  willed  to  do  this 
thing,  ere  he  could  have  sought  to  accomplish  it ;  so  that  this 
feat  performed  against  the  soul  and  life  of  Eve,  was  not  his  first 
derilection  from  truth  and  righteousness  ;  it  was  not  his  first 
murderous  act. 

We  therefore  feel  perfectly  at  liberty  now  to  ascend  beyond  the 
time  of  that  transaction,  when  that  evil  spirit  first  conceived  the 
ruin  of  the  first  woman,  to  seek  for  the  first  sin  ;  and  the  time 
when  Satan  forsook  the  abodes  of  truth,  and  became  a  murderer, 
a  sinner,  and  must  so  remain,  till  sin  can  work  its  own  redemp- 
tion, and  annihilate  its  own  nature — which  will  be  when  effect 
shall  rise  above  its  cause ;  as  we  know  of  no  atonement  made 
for  sinning  angels,  or  that  they  can  make  atonement  for  them- 
selves. But  how  far  back  it  was  in  the  annals  of  eternity,  when 
this  and  his  fellow  angels  sinned,  is  not  revealed  in  Scripture. 
There  is  no  clue  to  guide  in  this  research.  All  we  know  of  it  is, 
that  they  fell  from  their  first  estate ;  and  that  the  one  called  the 
devil,  and  Satan  was  present  at  the  time  of  the  creation  of  the  globe 
and  of  the  first  man  and  woman,  and  stood  ready  to  exert  his  pow- 
er in  the  ruin  of  our  race,  which  is  now  nearly  six  thousand  years 
since,  according  to  Scripture  chronology.  As  it  respects  the  truth, 
in  which  he  did  not  abide,  we  believe  it  was  the  virtue  of  reliance, 
that  God  was  truth,  or  in  other  words,  that  God  was  God  ;  and 
the  very  error  which  this  leading  and  first  apostate  committed, 
was  the  error  of  unbelief  respecting  the  being  of  a  God ;  and  un- 
belief is  the  high  road  to  lying,  as  it  is  said  of  Satan  that  he  is  a 
liar,  and  the  father  of  it,  and  that  he  sinneth  from  the  beginning ; 
that  is,  from  the  time  of  his  own  apostacy — the  beginning  of  sin. 
But  how  was  it  possible  for  him — being  good,  innocent,  and  holy 
at  first — to  commence  to  be  evil  ?  as  it  is  hard  to  conceive  how  a 
sweet  fountain  of  itself,  can  send  forth  bitter  water,  or  that  which 
is  pure,  can  begin  to  be  otherwise,  as  it  is  hard  to  understand  how 
a  lever  can  have  a  purchase,  except  it  have  a  fulcrum  to  rest  upon. 

In  answer  to  this,  we  shall  show  how  both  a  lever  and  a  ful- 
crum can  grow  into  being  together ;  how  sweet  water  may  in 
the  course  of  its  flowing,  grow  bitter ;  and  how  that  which  is 
pure  can  begin  to  become  otherwise;  according  to  the  best  argu- 
ment this  subject  affords — as  we  have  presumed  to  judge — and  will 
embrace  in  detail  the  progress  of  the  trial  of  the  angels,  and  will 
ascertain  the  precise  point  where  active  rebellion,  with  its  root, 
had  its  birth. 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  153 

We  have  already  supposed,  as  the  reader  may  recollect,  that 
the  Divine  Being  did  not  at  first  reveal  himself  to  the  angels, 
which  he  had  created,  except  on  a  gradual  scale  of  develope- 
ment ;  not  in  full  plenitude,  overwhelming  their  powers  of  cool 
investigation — as  such  a  procedure  would  have  prevented  forever 
the  made  of  their  trial ;  which  was,  as  we  believe,  to  progress  on 
the  ground  of  a  gradual  revelation,  or  developement  of  the  evi- 
dence of  his  being,  suited  to  the  capacities  and  the  reasoning 
powers  of  the  angels.  For  if  he  had  at  once  poured  upon  them 
an  ocean  of  evidence — as  he  could  have  done — to  prove  to  them 
his  claims  to  the  glory  and  honor  of  being  their  Creator,  it  would 
have  been  at  once  a  state  of  knowledge — of  absolute  knowledge, 
and  certainty :  faith,  or  belief,  founded  on  such  degrees  of  evi- 
dence, as  should  excite  their  examination  and  research,  and  bring 
into  exercise  the  various  powers  of  their  minds  before  they  could 
determine,  would  have  been  driven  out  of  the  question  ;  a  trial 
of  their  fealty,  or  free  choice  of  his  government,  could  not  have 
taken  place :  so  that  the  highest  gift  or  qualification  of  their  na- 
tures— which  was  their  freedom  of  will — would  have  been  ren- 
dered nugatary,  as  before  argued;  on  which  account,  faith,  or 
belief,  founded  on  the  investigation  of  facts,  affording  certain 
conclusions,  would  not  have  existed,  in  their  case ;  all  would 
have  been  compulsion,  force,  and  coercion  ;  which  is  not  God's 
way  of  dealing  with  intelligent  beings. 

But  as  to  the  peculiar  mode,  or  manner  of  revealing  himself  to 
them  after  they  had  remained  awhile  in  their  incipient  or  infant 
condition,  for  the  purpose  of  their  having  opportunity  to  bring 
into  operation,  by  association,  the  powers  of  their  minds,  we  are 
inclined  to  believe,  was  by  his  becoming  visible,  and  of  putting 
on  the  appearance  and  form  of  an  angel,  like  one  of  their 
number,  and  mingling  with  them,  though  somewhat  superior  in 
majesty  and  splendor,  by  which  to  attract  attention,  and  as  pre- 
paratory to  his  claims  upon  their  fealty  to  him  as  their  God,  their 
Creator  and  king.  Of  the  arrival  or  first  appearance  of  this  be- 
ing among  them,  we  have  supposed  the  circumstance  as  follows  : 
Heaven's  vales,  its  hills,  mountains  and  savannas  were  peopled 
again  with  the  angels,  after  their  return  from  their  voyages  of 
discovery,  in  the  regions  of  space,  an  account  of  which  we  have 
before  given  ;  and  while  employed  in  such  ways  as  occupy  an- 
gel minds,  in  groups  or  singly,  over  all  heaven's  empire,  their  at- 
tention was  suddenly  turned  to  the  heights  above,  as  there  ap- 
peared in  one  particular  direction,  a  light,  far  off,  in  the  darkness 
which  encompassed  their  heaven,  beyond  its  rays.  This  light  to 
them  appeared  as  a  bright  comet  would  appear  to  us,  were  there 
no  other  lights  in  the  firmament  above,  and  seemed  to  be  de. 
scending  with  immense  velocity  toward  their  world,  while  its 
rays  shot  sweetly  over  all  the  heavenly  regions.  But  as  it  neared 
their  atmosphere,  they  began  to  discern  in  the  midst  of  the  light 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

a  glorious  being,  from  whom,  as  from  a  centre,  there  went  out  in- 
cessant streams  of  light,  which  at  various  distances  formed  a  mul- 
titude of  haloes  round  about,  as  so  many  newly  born  rainbows ; 
while  the  centre  glowed  with  a  vividness  excessively  bright,  as 
if  there  was  the  lightning's  origin.  This  appearance,  as  it  drew 
nigher,  began  to  develope  the  human  form,  or  shape  of  angels, 
[See  the  Plate)  whose  glory  seemed  to  lessen  as  it  approached, 
till  his  splendor  did  not  much  exceed  that  of  the  two  great  arch- 
angels, who  stood  at  the  head  of  all  the  angelic  powers  ;  since 
known  among  men  as  Lucifer  and  Michael.  But  soon  from  the 
heights  above,  the  sound  as  of  torrents  in  the  sky,  struck  their 
hearing  as  rapidly  he  descended  on  the  wings  of  power,  and  in 
an  instant  more  he  stood  among  them,  as  now  from  ail  parts  of 
that  amazing  world,  all  the  angel  powers  had  drawn  together  to 
know  the  import  of  the  celestial  phenomenon. 

"  /  am  that  I  am"  (Ex.  iii.  14,)  the  Almighty  God,  your 
Creator ;  love,  worship  and  obey  me, — was  his  announcement 
in  their  midst,  while  majesty,  mingled  with  meekness,  marked 
his  countenance  and  demeanor,  while  traits  of  boundless  affec- 
tion poured  from  his  pleased  look,  over  all  their  myriads,  and 
their  glorious  heaven.  Here  the  first  idea  of  their  having  been 
created  was  received  ;  which  previously  had  not  been  conceived 
of,  as  we  have  already  supposed,  that  the  idea  of  creation,  the 
producing  something  where  there  was  nothing  previously,  was 
an  idea  equally  above  and  beyond  the  power  of  angel  conception 
as  well  as  men ;  and  must  therefore  have  been  first  revealed, 
and  brought  within  the  range  of  human  and  superhuman  inves- 
tigation, by  Him  who  is  the  author  of  the  fact,  as  well  as  the  idea 
of  revelation. 

In  a  moment,  far  and  wide  this  new  doctrine,  this  strange 
intelligence  was  seized  and  acted  upon,  by  these  celestial  legis- 
lators. Everywhere  were  seen  congregrated  seraph  and  sera- 
phim, orders  and  powers  of  the  heavenly  hosts,  in  deep  and 
earnest  debate,  on  the  subject  of  this  stranger's  claim.  The 
subject  of  creation,  and  especially  of  the  creation  of  themselves, 
was  new  and  strange,  and  of  vast  account ;  because,  if  this  per- 
sonage who  had  appeared  among  them  was  their  Creator,  then 
indeed  the  worship,  love,  and  obedience  of  all  the  powers  of  hea- 
ven was  his  due,  and  their  happiness.  On  which  account,  there 
were  many  who  argued  immediate  acquiescence,  and  were 
urgent  to  hasten  and  freely  choose  him  their  sovereign  Lord,  and 
from  his  mouth  receive  law  and  government  divine. 

Among  the  hosts  of  heaven,  there  was  but  one  equalled  in 
glorious  dignity,  power  of  intellect,  majesty  of  mein,  and  deep 
research,  that  one  angel  now  called  Satan ;  this  was  Michael, 
the  arch-angel,  spoken  of  by  St.  Jude.  Than  this  one  angel, 
now  known  as  Lucifer,  none  had  with  more  scrupulous,  attentive, 
and  profound  thought,  endeavored  to  understand  the  true  char- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  157  ' 

actcr  and  subject  of  this  stranger's  claims.  Face  to  face,  he  had 
beheld  him,  and  though  from  the  glance  of  his  eye  there  shot 
forth  command,  which  seemed  to  second  his  claims  of  power ; 
yet  in  dignity,  so  far  as  this  angel  could  discern,  did  not  much 
excel  the  fulgence  of  his  own  glory  and  excellency  of  being. 
He  had  found  him  deeply  expert  in  hard  questions,  such  as 
angels  could  then  ask,  evincing  intellectual  power,  even  greater 
than  his  own,  yet  coupled  with  sweet  humility,  seeming  more 
to  seek  their  love  than  fear.  But  as  to  the  subject  of  creation, 
this  he  could  not  understand ;  but  seemed  to  doubt,  which  doubt 
he  soon  diffused  among  his  followers,  raising  arguments  against 
the  possibility  of  the  thing ;  as  that  something  could  not  be 
made  from  nothing,  as  many  on  earth  have  done  since,  holding 
matter  to  be  eternal,  and  never  was  created,  or  any  thing  else. 

Here  the  war  in  heaven,  as  waged  between  Michael  and  his 
angels,  and  him  who  afterwards  became  Satan,  and  his  angels, 
first  began,  as  stated  Rev.  xii.  7,  as  follows :  "  And  there  was 
war  in  heaven  ;  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  drag- 
on, and  the  dragon  fought,  and  his  angels,  and  prevailed  not, 
neither  was  there  place  found  any  more  in  heaven.  And  the 
great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent  called  the  devil  and 
Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world."  This  is  too  explicit 
personal,  and  particular,  to  be  doubted  of  in  its  application  (as  we 
shall  show  in  another  place  toward  the  end  of  the  work)  in  rela- 
tion to  the  war  in  heaven ;  but  not  a  war  of  arms,  or  of  sword 
and  spear,  with  pomp  and  martial  array,  as  Milton  has  it ;  but 
a  war  of  words,  a  contest  of  doctrine,  of  sentiment,  and  of  argu- 
ment, among  the  celestial  powers,  in  which  was  employed  all 
the  talent,  the  eloquence  and  tact,  angelic  natures  were  then  capa- 
ble of.  The  great  question  was  :  is  creation  possible,  is  this  our 
God  and  Creator  ?  which  it  seems  divided  their  numbers ;  some 
holding  with  Michael,  that  he  ivas,  as  no  duplicity,  or  sign  of 
impotency  had  appeared  in  his  ways,  and  withal,  so  sweet  an 
attraction  came  over  their  spirits,  adding  a  degree  of  joy  when 
they  met  his  eye,  which  never  till  then  had  been  known  in  hea- 
ven. But  those  who  took  a  contrary  position  in  that  field  of 
trial,  did  not  do  so  from  malice,  (as  such  a  disposition  would  have 
shown  them  wicked  in  their  very  nature,  and  thus  created,)  but 
from  innocent  caution,  lest  ere  long,  it  might  appear  to  their 
universal  mortification,  that  they  had  been  too  hasty,  and  too 
credulous,  not  having  canvassed  sufficiently  close  so  important 
a  subject.  On  this  account  they  withheld  their  worship,  till 
their  doubts  might  be  dissolved  ;  while  the  others,  with  Michael 
at  their  head,  with  songs  and  hallelujahs  poured  round  his  glo- 
rious person,  and  freely  expressed  their  joy,  and  hailed  him  king 
of  heaven.  At  such  a  sight  as  this,  those  who  had  demurred  from 
mere  caution,  instead  of  quietly  waiting  till  further  evidence  of 
the  stranger's  claims  should  be  given ;  conceived  a  degree  of  sur. 


159  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

prise  toward  their  brother  angels,  because  they  had  so  soon  made 
him  supreme ;  imagining  that  they  had  there  by  poured  contempt 
upon  themselves  and  all  angelic  existences.  Debate  now  fol- 
lowed debate,  in  all  the  force  and  form  of  sober  argumentation, 
pouring  from  the  lips  of  celestial  orators  ;  each  urging  his  views 
with  honest  zeal,  not  doubting  on  either  side  but  they  were  right 
Michael  and  his  angels,  as  opposed  to  him  who  became  Satan, 
maintained  the  stranger's  right  to  the  kingdom,  by  virtue  of  the 
eternity  of  his  being,  and  also  because  he  possessed  the  power  to 
create,  and  from  the  fact  that  he  had  created  them  all ;  urging 
the  vast  amount  of  ingratitude  they  should  be  guilty  of,  if  they 
did  not  all  so  receive  him.  To  whom  the  opposing  angels  (but 
yet  innocent  of  sin,  as  an  error  of  judgment  is  not  sin,  till  the 
will  becomes  enlisted,  and  sanctions  that  error,)  replied :  if,  in- 
deed, we  were  sure  that  this  character  is  above  us,  and  is  the 
cause  of  our  being,  it  were  right  that  we  receive  him  as  our  head, 
and  to  crown  him  Lord  of  all,  as  thou  hast  already  done. 

But  I  demur  that  we  were  created  at  all,  as  the  thing  itself  to 
me  and  those  who  think  with  me,  is  believed  to  be  impossible. 
Who  among  us  can  remember  when  this  heaven  was  made,  or 
when  ourselves  commenced  to  be.  We  know  no  time  when  we 
were  not  as  now,  and  this  sweet  world  our  dwelling.  Who  were 
before  us  ?  If  none,  are  we  not  eternal  therefore,"and  uncaused, 
not  having  been  created,  and  owe  homage  to  none ;  yet  are  will- 
ling  to  practice  heavenly  courtesy  ;  as  worth  shall  claim,  as  each 
our  dues  from  all,  on  which  account,  to  me  and  thee,  the  highest 
honors  belong,  as  the  heads  of  all  these  powers,  unless  this  one 
shall  excel.  The  hasty  crowning  of  this  stranger  therefore  seems  a 
rebellion  against  our  own  natures  and  dignity  of  being.  If  then  we 
were  not  created,  as  I  with  these  ten  thousands  do  not  as  yet  believe, 
— it  then  appears  at  once,  that  this,  though  glorious  being,  who  is 
much  like  ourselves,  and  doubtless — when  the  truth  shall  be 
known — is  but  one  of  our  own  number,  who  has  hit  on  this 
experiment,  merely  to  try  us,  whether  we  will  be  true  to  our  own 
natures,  or  will  easily  relinquish  our  state  and  power  to  another, 
and  a  superior — were  there  any  such  in  being.  If  we  cannot 
remember  when  we  commenced  to  be ;  nor  when  this  heaven 
was  made ;  is  it  not  an  argument  that  our  being  is  underived, 
and  Creation — as  thou  callest  it — is  but  a  chimera,  a  word,  a 
name,  which  has  no  meaning ;  and  in  consequence,  a  Creator 
does  not  exist,  but  in  fancy  only :  we  are,  therefore,  underived, 
uncaused,  and  exist  of  necessity,  not  by  our  own,  or  the  exertions 
of  any  other  being. 

But  to  this,  Michael  replied — while  all  heaven,  both  his  own, 
and  the  opposing  angel?,  listened — who  said  :  that  a  concentra- 
tion of  truth  and  perfection  must  be  found  somewhere  in  an 
unlimited  degree,  consisting  in  power,  knowledge,  wisdom,  eter- 
nity, goodness,  and  omniscience;  must  be  somewhere  ascertained 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


159 


ui  the  aggregate,  as  they  do  not  exist  in  us  as  parts,  or  as  a  whole. 
Thou  nor  me,  do  not  certainly  know  that  there  is  no  Creator; 
which  proves  its  ignorant,  and  admits  of  the  possibility  of  such 
an  existence,  for  aught  we  know  to  the  contrary-  There  can  be 
but  one  such  concentration  of  all  truth,  knowledge,  goodness, 
wisdom,  power,  eternity,  and  omniscience  ;  but  one  eternal,  self- 
existent  being,  who  never  did  begin  to  be,  but  exists  of  necessity ; 
it  being  impossible  for  him  not  to  exist ;  and  that,  from  everlas- 
ting to  everlasting,  the  same,  filling  unbounded  space,  perfectly 
infinite  in  all  his  attributes.  And  for  this  very  reason,  a  mnlti- 
tudc,  as  thou  knowest  we  are,  cannot  be  self  existent,  as  there  is 
no  conceivable  room  for  but  one  such  being.  A  multitude  of 
beings  supposed  to  possess  such  attributes  as  above,  in  an  uniim 
ited  measure,  is  therefore  an  absurdity.  As  for  ourselves,  we 
feel  that  we  do  not  know  all  things, — have  not  all  power,  or 
this  argument  and  strife  of  opinion  could  not  have  arisen  among 
us,  as  all  doubt  is  extinct,  where  all  knowledge  is  present.  We 
have,  therefore,  a  Creator,  as  we  feel  ourselves  not  infinite  in 
any  sense,  and  this  is  he,  to  whom  we  advise  immediate  submis- 
sion and  worship,  before  this  error  of  judgment  shall  come  to  be 
sanctioned  by  your  wills,  and  obstinacy  of  feeling  ;  when  all  will 
be  lost,  as  that  will  be  tin ;  which  as  yet  is  unborn,  and  has  no 
being,  nor  can  have,  till  thou,  or  some  other  shall,  with  the  will, 
set  up  their  own  judgment,  as  a  standard,  in  opposition  to  any 
and  all  other  power,  and  determine  on  rebellion  against  him,  who 
myself  and  these,  in  number  more  than  thy  myriads,  deem  our 
God,  King  and  Creator. 

That  he  whom  thou  stylest  God,  and  king,  rejoined  Lucifer, 
the  opposing  angel,  is  a  Creator,  and  created  us,  I  still  demur; 
and  till  more  evidence,  and  of  a  more  convincing  kind,  shall  be 
produced,  on  which  to  build  so  strong  a  faith  as  thine,  myself, 
and  all  those  who  hold  with  me,  shall  refuse  him  worship,  and 
doubt  both  the  existence  of  Creator  and  created.  But  notwith- 
standing this  opposition  to  the  opinions  of  Michael  and  his  fol- 
lowers, yet  it  was  not  sin ;  this  monster  was  not  yet  brought 
forth ;  yet  they  were  in  deep  perplexity,  whether  the  claims  of 
this  stranger  should  or  should  not  receive  their  consent.  Neither 
were  the  other  angels  without  their  perplexities,  as  a  state  of 
trial,  or  probation,  most  certainly  supposes,  and  must  involve  in 
it  some  such  thing  as  belief,  confidence,  or  credit,  arising  out  of 
a  dispensation  of  evidence.  But  belief,  confidence,  or  credit,  is 
far  from  being  a  state  of  absolute  knowledge  ;  as  knowledge  ex- 
cludes belief,  by  reason  of  its  going  beyond,  or  by  carrying  the 
principle  of  belief  forward,  till  it  ripens  into  knowledge  so  sure 
and  palpable,  as  not  to  require  the  aid  of  evidence;  as  evidence 
producing  belief,  confidence,  &c,  are  all  absorbed  in  knoweldge, 
where  faith,  belief,  credit,  and  trial  cease,  and  certainly  ensues. 

But  though  the  angels  who  stood  out  their  time  of  trial,  and 
10 


160  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

passed  that  rubicon  of  heaven,  and  consequently  become  con- 
firmed in  their  state  of  happiness,  so  as  no  more  to  be  liable 
to  fall,  had,  during  their  probation,  been  perplexed  in  relation 
to  their  course,  does  not,  therefore,  argue  the  presence  of  sin, 
no  more  nor  less  than  the  perplexities  of  those  who  fell,  till 
the  time  their  wills  seconded  their  error  of  judgment.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  but  Abraham  had  his  perplexities,  when  God 
commanded  him  to  kill  his  son;  yet  his  faith,  his  confidence 
and  trust  in  God,  carried  him  through,  till  knowledge  sup- 
plied the  reason  of  that  command  ;  yet  furnishes  no  argument 
that  moral  evil  was  in  the  mind  of  Abraham  on  that  account. 
Are  not  the  providences  of  God  over  this  world,  in  many  res- 
pects hidden  and  mysterious,  so  that  even  the  minds  of  the 
just  and  pious,  are  exceedingly  perplexed,  but  is  no  argument 
of  sin  in  them,  but  of  their  imperfection  in  knowledge  only. 
We  do  not  suppose  that  the  investigation  of  subjects  even 
now  among  the  angels,  which  employs  their  powers,  supposes 
sin,  or  moral  imbecility,  present  or  even  possible  on  thai 
account.  Wherefore  we  arrive  at  the  conclusion,  that  the 
angels  who  fell  did  not  sin  during  the  time  of  their  trial,  but 
at  the  \ery  end  of  it,  as  the  moment  sin  was  committed  by 
them,  their  trial  ended,  their  fall  was  complete,  as  much  so 
as  the  fall  of  a  stone  toward  the  centre,  wThich  is  suspended 
by  a  cord,  is  complete  when  that  cord  is  cut  asunder. 

The  reader  will  recollect,  that  a  little  above,  the  opposing 
angel  Lucifer,  who  resisted  Michael  in  the  argument,  and  is 
now  known  among  men  as  Satan,  that  he  still  doubted  the 
doctrine  of  both  a  Creator  and  creation,  and  that  he  should 
continue  to  doubt,  till  more  evidence  should  appear  to  justify 
so  strong  a  faith.  This  speech  did  not  pass  unheeded  of  the 
Eternal  ear,  and  as  it  was  according  to  his  plan  of  their  trial, 
namely,  to  give  sufficient  evidence  of  his  claims,  he  soon,  by  anj 
gelic  acclamation,  caused  it  to  be  announced  over  all  the  plains* 
of  heaven,  whither  in  this  debate  they  were  spread  ;  that  the 
sovereign  will  was  about  to  give  such  farther  evidence  of  the 
righteousness  of  his  claim  of  being  God  over  all,  as  should  be 
sufficient  to  satisfy  the  most  wary  among  all  the  hosts  of  heav- 
en, on  the  great  subject  which  had  thus  divided  them  in  their 
opinions,  but  not  as  yet  in  their  affections.  This  said,  they  ceas- 
ed from  war,  a  war  in  which  the  powers  of  heaven,  had  put  forth 
their  utmost  in  debate,  more  than  human  genius  can  devise  ;  to 
learn  what  more  might  now  ensue,  in  confirmation  or  in  de- 
duction from  the  claims  of  either  party,  of  holding  the  truth. 
This  done,  there  suddenly  appeared  in  the  all  surrounding 
darkness,  that  lay  beyond  the  light  of  heaven,  which  was  shut 
in  on  every  side,  like  a  diamond  in  a  dungeon,  a  rim  of  light 
passing  wholly  around  heaven's  circumference,  at  a  vast  dis- 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  163 

tancc,  appearing  to  the  angels  much  as  the  milky  way  does 
now  to  mortals.  (See  the  plale.)  This  phenomenon  threw 
all  the  angelic  hosts  into  astonishment,  both  those  who  doubt- 
ed and  those  who  doubted  not,  as  this  appearance  was  entirely 
beyond  their  hnowledge. 

This  strange  and  new  appearance  had  occupied  their  atten- 
tion and  wonder  but  a  short  space,  when  millions  of  the  bright 
beings  of  heaven,  sprang  on  light  yet  rapid  wings,  in  every 
direction  from  this  great  nucleus  of  creation,  toward  the  rim 
of  light  which  so  suddenly  had  thrown  its  blush  over  so  im- 
mense a  tract  of  ancient  space,  the  home  and  empire  of 
uncreated  night.  This  sparkling,  though  when  first  discov- 
ered, appeared  as  nearly  amalgamated,  they  found  on  near 
approach  to  be  derived  from  a  countless  number  of  sans,  of 
various  magnitudes,  situated  at  various  and  vast  distances 
from  each  other ;  around  which  there  were  moving  many 
brilliant  stars,  in  immense  orbits,  with  speed  inconceivable, 
circles  within  circles,  as  about  a  centre,  held  and  balanced  in 
their  courses  by  two  mysterious  principles,  since  called 
attraction  and  repulsion.  These,  on  a  still  nearer  approach, 
they  found  were  worlds,  clothed  with  all  manner  of  verdure, 
pleasant  to  the  si^ht ;  adorned  with  oceans,  rivers,  springs 
and  fountains  of  water,  surrounded  by  atmospheres,  tempered 
with  aqueous  particles,  mingled  with  light  and  the  winds  of 
heaven,  in  which  there  flew  all  manner  of  fowls,  whose  songs 
and  feathery  millions  filled  with  life  and  animation  the  track- 
less fields  of  ether  surrounding  them.  Their  oceans,  lakes, 
rivers,  and  fountains  of  water,  with  all  springs,  were  full  of 
all  manner  of  life,  in  the  form  of  animals,  both  great  and  small ; 
while  there  also  appeared  on  the  dry  land,  various  beasts, 
huge  and  diminutive  ;  but  more  extraordinary  far,  than  all  the 
rest,  there  was  seen  walking  erect,  with  majesty  of  me  in,  on 
every  globe,  tivo,  as  monarehs  of  all  the  rest,  creatures  of 
upright  form,  with  faces  of  human  mould,  beaming  with  the 
graces  of  high  intellectual  character,  having  a  striking  like- 
ness and  image  of  him  who  claimed  to  be  the  great  Creator 
in  heaven  ;  these  were  the  Adams  and  Eves  of  every  globe 
of  the  universe,  then  created,  which  was  long  before  the  exis- 
tence of  the  system  on  which  we  live. 

But  passing  on  from  these,  downwards  to  the  centres  of 
systems,  which  were  all  suns,  giving  light  to  the  various  fam- 
ilies of  the  worlds  of  the  Universe  :  these  they  also  found 
to  be  globes  of  earth,  or  of  opake  matter,  of  huge  dimensions, 
exceeding  by  millions,  in  bulk,  the  size  of  any  one  individual 
globe;  whose  orbs  swept  the  great  circles  of  their  Zodiacs, 
embellished  in  all  respects  as  the  others ;  with  seas,  rivers, 
and  fountains  of  waters  ;  with  animals,  fowls  and  fishes  :   and 


164  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

man,  with  liis  consort,  crowning  the  whole  with  intellectual 
heads.     The  immensity  of  light — the  suns,  which  as  so  many 
oceans  of  fire,  flaming  out  to  all  worlds — they  found  to  be 
nothing  more  than  their  own  luminous  atmosphere  ;  so  consti- 
tuted by  the  Creator,  as  to  give  off  perpetual  corruscations  ; 
not  only  for  the  purpose  of  enlightening  other  worlds,  but 
their  own  surfaces  beneath,  by  the  refraction  of  their  own 
rays.     This  arrangement  however,  was  found  of  no  manner 
of  inconvenience  to  their  inhabitants,  of  either  man  or   ani- 
mals, as  there  went  up  at  certain  hours  of  time,  a  dense  and 
humid  mist,  which  extending  over  their  whole  surface,   sha- 
ded with  a  grateful  twilight  those  regions   beneath  ;  so  that 
iherey  as  in  other  globes,  was  an  interchange  of  day  and  night, 
taking  place  in  perpetual   succession.     The  planets — as  they 
are  called — or  worlds  of  earth — the  families  of  the  suns — 
they  found  to  shine  by  borrowed  light,  received  in  their  at- 
mospheres, and  on  the  face  of  the  waters  and  the  polar  snows  ; 
and  thus  as  they  turned  on  their  axles,  maintained   through 
all  their  numbers,  as   they  fled  through  space,  and  revolving 
by  systems,  not  only  round  their  suns,  their  respective  cen- 
tres, but  suns  and   all  round  heaven,  the  home  and  origin  of 
intellect,  and  doubtless,  the  grand  centre  of  all  revolving  mat- 
ter, as  well  as  of  all  happiness. 

Such,  the  scouting  angels  found  the  rim  of  light  to  be, 
when  swift  as  thought,  they  returned  to  heaven  ;  and  as  most 
natural,  it  was  supposed  that  those  who  had  doubted  would 
now  be  satisfied,  that  the  stranger  was  indeed  their  God  and 
Maker,  and  would  hasten  to  offer  him  love  and  worship.  But 
not  so,  as  now,  their  leader  saw  him  ascending  in  the  very 
midst  of  heaven,  a  mountain  of  light,  which  till  then,  none  had 
seen,  which  was  vast  and  high,  pure  as  crystal,  whereon  was 
set  a  throne  of  exceeding  majesty,  with  steps  of  beryl,  befrin- 
ged with  light ;  while  on  either  hand  there  ministered  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thousand  spirits  of  heaven,  while  he  sat 
down  on  his  throne — the  seat  of  the  ancient  of  days — who  all 
the  while  had  been  in  their  midst,  but  invisible,  yet  knowing 
all  their  thoughts  and  ways.  He  smiled  upon  the  militant 
hosts,  and  all  heaven  leapt  for  joy  in  return;  each  hill  and 
dale,  with  savannas  broad,  and  every  silver  flood,  with  all 
flowers  and  blooming  groves  sent  forth  sounds — voices  new 
and  sweet,  to  celebrate  the  glories  of  the  king  of  heaven. 
Now,  was  the  time  but  short,  for  those  who  had  differed  with 
Michael,  to  have  renounced  their  error  of  judgment,  not  their 
sin,  for  heaven  is  just,  and  gives  to  all,  both  angels  and  men, 
a  time  of  retrieving  power,  according  as  their  light  and  circum- 
stances may  be.  Now  was  the  time  when  this  mighty  angel, 
jvho  had  led   on   the  powers,  hierarchs,  and  orders  beneath 


AXGEL8    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  165 

him  in  this  great  debate;  when  they,  with  joy,  with  all  his 
hosts,  shouldhavc  freely  admitted  as  the  others  had  done,  the 
glorious  Being  on  the  throne  to  be  the  Creator,  all  blessed 
forever  more  ;  as  the  amount  of  evidence  which  Lucifer  had 
required,  had  now  been  given.  But  instead  of  this,  he  with 
all  his  company,  that  moment,  seconded  their  error  of  opinion 
by  their  wills ;  when  there  arose  in  their  minds,  a  deathless 
hatred  against  the  eternal  king — as  they  thought  themselves 
impaired  or  injured.  All  now  was  lost  ;  as  the  immaculate 
image  of  the  great  Creator  had  forsaken  their  moral  being — 
which  was  their  innocence  ;  and  as  no  mediator  could  be  ad- 
mitted, they  having  sinned  wilfully,  and  in  so  high  a  grade  of 
being  and  privilege,  they  were  lost  to  all  recovery,  and  that 
without  end. 

But  we  do  not  believe,  as  before  remarked  on  this  subject, 
that  an  inkling  of  penalty  and  suffering,  or  retrenchment  of 
glory,  and  dignity  of  being,  had  crossed  their  minds;  as  penal 
law,  to  restrain  beings  so  high,  and  so  near  the  throne  of 
heaven,  would  have  been  unfit  and  absurd  ;  as  affection  free- 
ly bestowed,  on  the  ground  of  sufficient  evidence,  that  he 
who  claimed  at  their  hand,  this  proof  of  fealty,  was  all  he 
could  consistently  receive  or  admit. 

Here  the  first  sin  was  perpetrated  :  here  its  foundation  arid 
origin  is  discovered  :  here  damnation  was  born  :  here  the  in- 
cipient principle,  pioneer,  and  forerunner  of  all  moral  derilec- 
tion  sprang  up ;  here  one  of  the  only  two  of  the  highest  of 
angelic  orders,  was  in  an  instant  changed  from  a  state  of  inno- 
cence, and  great  glory,  to  a  devil — foul  and  hideous,  full  of 
all  evil — a  loathsome  spirit,  in  the  sight  of  all  heaven,  and  of 
his  own  associates,  who  were  also  fallen — who  in  their  fall 
took  natures  exactly  opposite  in  all  respects,  to  their  former 
condition  ;  as  was  but  natural  they  should  do. 

This  is  the  precise  point,  or  period — however  far  back  it 
may  have  been  in  past  eternity — when  that  horrible  eclipse 
of  sin  was  first  seen  rising  over  the  moral  disc  of  heaven,  far 
in  the  sides  of  the  north  ;  where  Lucifer,  or  the  light-bringer 
had  by  the  Divine  appointment,  his  realm  of  happiness;  with 
all  those  angels  classed  beneath  his  supervision. 

That  was  the  time  and  place,  when  and  where  that  eleva- 
ted being  by  his  own  will  changed  himself  from  a  holy,  happy 
being,  to  one  equally  unholy  and  unhappy  ;  and  will  thus 
remain,  till  wickedness  can  work  its  own  cure,  and  annihilate 
its  own  cause  ;  unless  it  can  be  shown  from  the  Scripture 
that  a  ransom  has  been  found  which  can  satisfy  the  severity 
of  justice,  a3  a  principle  ;  as  in  the  case  of  man. 

Of  the  mediator  of  the  human  race,  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  said 
that  he  took  not  upon  him  the  nature  of  angels,  either  good 


1GG  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

or  bad,  but  the  nature  of  man,  his  fallen  propensities  excep- 
ted ;  by  which  we  at  once  discover  that  his  mediation  and 
atonement  has  done  nothing  for  that  class  of  delinquents  call- 
ed fallen  angels :  how,  therefore,  can  they  be  finally  saved, 
as  is  believed  by  Restorationists  ? 

To  enquire  what  the  ivill  is,  in  human  or  superhuman 
minds,  were  doubtless,  a  useless  task,  as  it  is  much  beyond 
mortal  research,  or  any,  and  all  the  first  principles  of  nature  ; 
such  as  gravitation,  matter,  life,  hearing,  seeing,  smelling, 
tasting,  and  feeling.  What  these  are  in  their  essences,  can  be 
known  only  to  Him  who  created  them; — so  with  the  will;  it 
is  an  indefinable  principle,  yet  a  property  of  all  intellectual 
being,  and  is  the  principle  by  which  all  free  agents  are  enabled 
to  be  virtuous,  or  otherwise  ;  and  on  which  account,  respon- 
sibility to  Him  who  made  us  all,  is  ascertained.  To  say 
therefore,  that  the  will  caused  him  to  sin,  is  saying  just  noth- 
ing at  all;  as  this  very  will  is  the  sinner  itself; — as  the  will 
sins,  in  willing  contrary  to  knowledge,  and  understanding, 
that  which  is  not  right,  or  in  order  with  the  moral  harmony  of 
God's  Universe.  If  we  suppose  any  principle  whatever,  so 
powerful  as  to  irresistably  influence  the  will ;  then  will  is  no 
longer  will,  and  can  act  only  as  it  is  acted  upon  ;  or  in  other 
words,  does  not  act  at  all.  In  this  way,  it  were  not  a  hard 
matter,  to  trace  the  cause  of  sin  up  to  God  ;  inasmuch  as  it 
was  he  who  put  the  angels  on  trial — gave  them  this  power  of 
ivill,  with  all  their  other  powers  :  as  knowledge,  understand- 
ing and  ability  of  enjoyment :  and  if  we  conceive  him  as  exert- 
ing an  irresistable  and  controlling  influence  over  this  will, 
then  that  which  is  supposed  to  be  si?i,  is  no  sin  ;  as  on  such 
an  hypothesis,  sin  was  brought  into  being  by  his  own  procur- 
ing and  design  ;  which  cannot  be,  and  which  all  men  with 
abhorence  reject.  But  if  we  can  admit  the  creation  of  beings 
possible  with  God — who  can  be  endowed  with  this  principle, 
independent  in  its  operations,  having  power  to  will  even  mor- 
al evil,  and  disobedience  to  God  ;  we  then  ascertain,  as  with 
that  same  will,  he  could,  and  should  have  submitted  to  the 
force  of  evidence,  as  did  the  other  angels;  but  he  would  not. 
Now  if  we  continue  to  enquire  : — why  would  not  that  spirit 
yield  to  the  force  of  evidence,  as  the  others  did? — we  can 
only  reply,  that  he  would  not — as  any  deviation  from  this 
position,  furnishes  a  cause,  and  at  once  would  be  both  his, 
and  all  the  fallen  spirits  of  hell's  apology  for  sin,  as  well  also 
as  of  all  the  sinners  of  the  globe  ;  an  apology  which  the  equi- 
ty of  heaven,  and  heaven's  Eternal  King,  could  not  disregard 
or  turn  aside. 

But  as  already  remarked,  it  cannot  be  admitted  that  Satan, 
with  all  who  fell  with  him,  had  entertained  the  least  glimpse 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  167 

of  the  penal  consequences  which  would  follow  on  their  act  of 
sin  and  rebellion  :  for  it  is  altogether  consistent  to  suppose, 
that  such  a  consequence  should  have  been  concealed  from 
their  knowledge,  as  the  high  state  in  which  they  were  created, 
could  not  admit  of  revealed  penalties,  as  their  acts  must  not 
be  influenced  by  any  coercion,  or  allusions  to  coercion,  pun- 
ishment or  reward  ;  love,  and  love  alone,  must  have  been 
their  only  inducement  to  obedience.  Their  state  of  trial,  in 
distinction  from  that  of  Adam's,  could  not  admit  of  either  pro- 
mise or  threat,  as  all  their  acts  must  arise  out  of  their  will, 
carried  into  operation  by  their  free  agency,  which  two  powers 
are  never  separated.  This  is  doubtless  the  reason  why  no 
redemption  is  possible  in  their  case,  as  in  the  case  of  man  ; 
as  the  sin  of  Satan  and  his  angels  was  of  a  more  aggravated 
nature  than  that  of  the  woman's,  not  being  in  any  way  misled 
or  deceived  ;  or  as  Adam,  who  for  the  sake  of  his  wife,  en- 
tered into  her  condemnation,  not  being  willing  to  be  separated 
from  her  in  her  distress,  yet  by  no  means  desiring  to  disobey 
God.  But  at  the  moment  when  the  lost  angels  had  made 
their  last  resolve  not  to  accept  of  a  Creator  then  on  the 
throne  ;  there  shot  through  their  natures,  as  the  flash  of  a 
thunderbolt,  all  the  constituent  passions  and  powers  which 
constitute  the  nature  of  devils  ;  hatred,  unconquerable  hatred, 
that  moment  began  to  writhe  within  them,  against  God, 
and  all  his  works.  On  this  account,  they  instantly  rallied 
around  their  great  leader,  in  motion  to  depart  to  that  region 
or  province  of  heaven,  which  they  considered  their  own ;  as 
the  presence  of  God,  and  the  angels  who  had  not  fallen,  was 
now  insufferably  disagreeable ;  where  they  would  build  for 
themselves  habitations  of  splendor  and  happiness,  in  a  state 
of  independence,  with  their  chief,  as  sovereign  king  and  lord  ; 
but  were  prevented,  by  being  driven  out  of  heaven,  toward 
hell,  their  future  and  final  home.  Thus  we  think  we  have 
shown  how  Lucifer  became  Satan,  or  the  devil,  and  how  the 
angels  who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  departed  from  it,  and  why 
they  were  cast  down  to  hell,  or  thitherward,  where  they  will 
be  finally  sent  at  the  day  of  judgment. 


Respecting  Lucifer,  Son  of  the  Morning,  who  and  what  he 
was,  as  mentioned  by  Isaiah  the  Prophet. 

Of  some  such  occurrence  as  the  fall  of  the  angels,  having 
taken  place  in  the  world  of  spirits,  there  seems  to  be  an  allu- 
sion in  the  book  of  Isaiah,  chap,  xiv.,  as  follows;  "  0  Lucifer, 


168  HISTORY    OF   THE    FALLEN 

son  of  the  morning,  how  art  thou  cut  down  to  the  ground,  who 
did  weaken  the  nations ;  for  thou  hast  said  in  thy  heart,  I  will 
ascend  into  heaven,  I  will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of 
God ;  I  will  sit  also  upon  the  mount  of  the  congregation  in  the 
sides  of  the  north,  I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the  clouds, 
I  will  be  like  the  Most  High."  Although  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  this  was  spoken  literally  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  one  of  the  kings 
of  ancient  Chaldea,  who  nourished  about  six  hundred  years  B.  C, 
in  whose  time  the  Chaldean  empire  had  became  very  large  and 
powerful,  comprehending  Chaldea,  Assyria,  Arabia,  Syria  and 
Palestine,  reaching  even  to  India.  It  is  probable  this  monarch, 
in  the  greatness  of  his  pride  and  kingly  ambition,  had  desired  in 
his  heart,  and  probably  expressed  to  his  confidants,  his  intention 
of  bringing  all  the  nations  of  Africa  and  Asia,  to  pay  homage  to 
his  crown,  and  to  be  subject  to  his  rule,  for  the  glory  of  great 
Babylon,  the  most  splendid  and  the  most  populous,  as  well  as  the 
largest  walled  city  of  the  globe,  either  before  or  since  that  time, 
being  fifteen  miles  square,  and  sixty  in  circumference. 

But  notwithstanding  the  insatiate  desires,  and  the  achieve- 
ments of  this  mortal,  we  cannot  but  think  that  Isaiah  has  used 
language  and  figures  too  strong  and  foreign  to  the  fact ;  unless 
there  is  a  reference  in  this  description,  to  the  desires  and  plans 
of  Satan  after  his  fall,  as  well  as  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  mortal 
type  of  that  immortal  rebel  against  Gcd  and  all  his  works.  Can 
such  language  as  here  follows,  be  seriously  applied  to  the  doings 
of  any  mere  man,  "  I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the 
clouds,  I  will  be  like  the  Most  High;"  a  thing  impossible 
for  a  man  even  to  think  of,  if  his  ideas  of  the  Most  High  are  as 
exalted  as  the  description  the  Jewish  Scriptures  give  of  him. 
But  if  we  apply  this  language  to  the  apostacy  of  that  rebel  angel, 
who  by  his  rebellion  became  a  devil ;  then  such  a  description, 
couched  in  the  strong  and  majestic  words  of  inspiration,  are  not 
improperly  descriptive  ;  but  portrays  the  ambition  of  this  Lucifer, 
son  of  the  morning,  and  his  attempt  to  fight  against  God,  and  to 
ascend  the  mount  of  the  congregation,  in  heaven,  and  to  be  like 
the  Most  High,  nothing  doubting  but  he  could  do  it.  That  this 
king  should  be  called  in  Scripture,  Lucifer,  and  also  son  of  the 
morning,  which  is  the  same  as  morning  star,  or  in  other  words 
light  bringer,  is  very  singular,  as  his  name  was  Nebuchadnez- 
zar ;  the  meaning  of  which,  in  the  Chaldean  language,  was  tears 
and  groans  of  judgment;  very  different  indeed,  both  in  sound 
and  meaning,  from  that  of  Lucifer,  or  light  bringer.  But  if  we 
understand  this  description,  as  given  by  Isaiah,  literally  of  the 
man  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  spiritually  of  Satan,  or  Lucifer,  and 
of  his  fall  from  his  first  estate  in  heaven,  then  we  perceive  a  pro- 
priety in  his  being  called  Lucifer,  Son  of  the  Morning,  Light 
Bringer,  (fee.  For  if  lie  was  one  of  the  two  highest  angels  which 
God  had  made,  it  might  well  be  said  of  him,  that  he  was  a  light 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  109 

bringer,  on  account  of  his  immense  intellectual  abilities ;  in 
which  he  was  an  expression  of  the  divine  mind,  and  a  manifes- 
tation of  his  power  to  produce  beings  of  this  description,  having  the 
light  of  godlike  intellect,  and  in  this  respect  was  a  light  b  ringer. 
Of  such  a  being,  it  might  well  be  said :  O  Lucifer,  light  briv.ger, 
how  art  thou  fallen  from  heaven,  son  of  the  morning,  or  of  the 
first  creation ;  for  thou  hast  said,  I  will  ascend  into  heaven,  I 
will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God,  (the  angels,)  1  will 
sit  upon  the  mount  of  the  congregation  (of  angels)  in  the  sides  of 
the  north,  I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the  clouds,  (even 
heaven's  glory,)  I  will  be  like  the  Most  High,  (if  not  above  him  :) 
which  disposition  he  still  retains,  as  is  said  of  him  in  the  New 
Testament,  "the  devil  sinneth  from  the  beginning." 

As  before  expressed,  we  have  no  doubt  that  his  sin  was  com- 
menced at  the  very  moment  when  he  conceived  resistance  to  the 
claims  of  God  to  the  love  and  obedience  of  the  spirits  which  he 
had  made,  and  was  the  act  of  his  own  free  will.  On  having 
found  his  views  were  wrong,  and  that  his  judgment  was  not 
infallible,  he  conceived  on  the  instant,  hatred  to  his  great  oppo- 
nent, the  Creator,  with  meditated  revenge,  the  natural  offspring 
of  hatred  ;  which  disposition,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  forever 
confirmed  him,  with  all  those  who  had  sanctioned  his  ways,  in 
a  state  of  deathless  opposition  to  all  good.  And  such  was  their 
condition,  so  high,  and  so  encompassed  with  light,  which  they 
at  that  fatal  moment  dared  to  despise,  that  retraction  and  repent- 
ance became  impossible ;  and  never  from  that  moment  have  they 
felt  repentant  emotions,  nor  ever  will  to  all  eternity.  So  deep 
and  so  remedyless  is  their  fall,  that  still  they  feel  a  horrid  satis- 
faction in  the  enmity  of  their  natures,  against  the  Divine  Being 
and  all  his  works.  But  could  these  fallen  angels  have  exercised 
a  moment  before  their  first  sin,  any  other  feeling  than  that  of 
hatred  and  rebellion,  on  finding  themselves  mistaken  in  their 
opinions  1  most  certainly  they  could,  as  their  natures  were,  the 
moment  previous,  unbiassed  to  sin,  and  might  therefore,  both  on 
that  account  and  the  account  oi'their  free  agency,  have  rejoiced 
to  find  their  error  corrected  ;  but  instead  of  doing  this,  they  willed 
at  that  moment  an  eternal  opposition  to  God,  wfien  unbounded 
rage  took  possession  of  their  natures,  which  from  that  time  has 
never  subsided  nor  ever  can.  At  that  instant,  the  divine  support, 
which  had  brought  them  into  being,  and  from  whom  their  orig- 
inal innocence  anJ  holiness  was  derived,  became  forfeit,  beyond 
the  power  of  consistent  redemption.  If  it  1x3  admitted  for  a 
moment,  that  they  could  not  have  exercised  other  feelings  and 
dispositions  than  they  did,  then  in  that  same  moment  we  admit 
that  they  could  not  help  their  fall ;  if  so,  then  they  were  not  to 
blame,  and  of  course  are  not  fallen,  have  not  sinned,  as  it  is  not 
for  the  things  we  cannot,  but  for  the  things  we  can  do,  yet  do 

11 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

not,  that  the  Supreme  Being  calls  his  creatures  to  an  account. 
The  angels  were  as  free  to  fall,  as  to  stand,  being  in  wo  way 
necessiated  or  misled,  as  there  was  no  darkness  or  doubt  at  the 
time,  on  the  subject  of  law  by  which  they  were  tried,  as  the 
evidence  of  the  fact,  which  they  had  disputed,  was  then  abun- 
dant, even  to  their  own  understandings.  It  was,  therefore,  their 
own  act,  abstractedly  so,  or  it  was  not  theirs  at  all.  But  at  that 
instant,  every  good  quality  forsook  them,  of  necessity ;  as  much 
so  as  a  golden  vessel  filled  with  the  pure  waters  of  a  pure  foun- 
tain, is  changed,  every  particle  and  atom  thereof;  if  but  a  grain 
of  coloring  substance,  or  of  poison,  be  cast  therein,  it  is  destroyed 
of  its  first  purity.  So  with  those  pure  spirits;  love  became 
hatred,  humility  became  pride,  good  will  became  malice,  eternal 
life  became  eternal  death,  joy  and  happiness  became  anguish  and 
misery,  free  agency  and  free  will  became  fate  ;  so  that  they  are 
necessitated  to  remain,  unwilling  to  will  anything  but  enmity  to 
God.  Anticipation  of  a  perpetuity  of  happiness,  became  a  fear- 
ful looking  for,  of  fiery  indignation  and  judgment  to  come,  to  be 
poured  out  upon  them.  Confidence  in  their  own  uprightness 
became  dastardly  fear  ;  and  knowledge,  with  every  high  ability 
of  their  intellectual  natures,  was  prostituted  and  perverted  to  the 
ways  and  wiles  of  devils,  taking  in  all  things,  the  exact  opposite 
of  order,  peace,  and  happiness. 

There  is  a  line  of  demarkation,  which  pervades  all  first  prin- 
ciples, whether  of  morals,  politics,  or  physics,  beyond  which,  if  a 
man  proceed  he  cannot  return.  If  in  physics,  a  man  place  him- 
self, by  design  or  accident,  within  the  suck  of  the  falls  of  Niagara, 
who  can  redeem  him.  If  in  politics,  a  man  forfeit  all  the  rights 
of  human  society,  he  is  cast  forth  as  an  outlaw  or  a  victim  ;  who 
can  redeem  him?  Why  not,  therefore,  much  more  so  in  morals, 
as  the  higher  we  ascend,  the  more  and  the  greater  the  responsi- 
bility 1  The  line  of  demarkation  once  passed  over  here,  as  in  the 
other  cases,  cannot  be  retraced ;  beyond  which,  even  mercy 
itself  cannot  go,  except  at  the  expense  of  justice.  How  then  was 
Adam  and  Eve  redeemed,  it  may  be  inquired,  who  had  passed, 
as  supposed,  the  line  of  demarkation  ?  but  this  we  do  not  admit, 
was  the  final  line  of  demarkation  with  them ;  as  we  see  mercy 
iz-rts  extended  to  them,  in  the  promised  seed,  as  in  the  atonement ; 
which  was  not  contrary  to,  nor  inconsistent  with  divine  justice, 
or  it  could  never  have  taken  place.  Yet  in  man's  case  there  is 
such  a  line  of  demarkation,  and  it  is  arrived  at  and  passed,  when 
a  redeemed  human  beinjr  has  despised  or  neglected  his  last  and 
only  hope,  the  opportunity  of  grace  in  this  life.  As  it  is  said  in 
Heb.  ii.  2,  3,  "  For  if  the  word  spoken  by  angels  (in  the  giv- 
ing of  the  law)  was  steadfast,  and  every  transgression  and  diso- 
bedience received  a  just  recompense  of  reward,  how  shall  we 
escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great  salvation"  The  account  which 
is  given  of  the  fall  of  the  angels  in  the  New  Testament,  is  that 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  171 

"  they  kept  not  their  first  estate ;"  which,  if  true,  proves  that 
they  left  it,  which  also  proves  that  with  or  by  the  same  power  they 
left  it,  they  could  have  also  kept  it  till  this  time,  and  forever. 


What  became  of  the  Atigels  after  their  Fall ;  is  there  a 
Hell  or  not  in  another  World  1  and  is  there  yet  to  be  a  Day 
of  particular  and  getter al  Judgment  7  with  further  Proofs 
of  the  existence  of  a  Devil. 

Thus  far  we  have  pursued  the  above  subject,  and  think  we 
have  shown  how  a  part  of  the  first  angels  became  evil  spirits,  or 
devils,  and  on  what  principle  sin  had  its  beginning ;  by  which 
procedure  we  have  cleared  the  Divine  Being  from  the  charge  of 
being  the  cause  of  sin ;  and  more  than  this,  that  he  could  nol 
even  have  prevented  it,  unless  he  would  have  destroyed  free 
agency  and  free  will  out  of  their  natures ;  which  had  he  done, 
would  have  been  inconsistent.  Our  next  inquiry,  therefore,  will 
be  to  ascertain  what  became  of  those  fallen  angels  after  their 
apostacy  and  loss  of  heaven.  Concerning  this,  it  is  said  2d  Peter, 
ii.  4,  that  "  God  spared  not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but  cast  them 
down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them  into  chains  of  darkness,  to  be 
reserved  unto  judgment,"  or  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day. 

Now  were  we  to  believe  on  this  subject  as  do  Universalists. 
namely,  that  there  never  were  any  such  angels  or  beings,  who 
fell  from  a  first  condition  of  happiness ;  who  God  would  not 
spare,  but  cast  down  to  hell,  we  should  save  ourselves  the  trou- 
ble of  this  enquiry ;  as  there  could  be  no  hell  to  cast  them  into  ; 
for  if  such  angels  do  not  exist,  a  hell  for  them  cannot  be  found 
of  course.  But  the  passage  states  that  those  angels  were  not 
only  cast  down  to  hell,  but  that  they  are  under  chains  of  dark- 
ness, reserved  to  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  See  St.  Jude,  vi. 
"  And  the  angels  which  kept  not  their  first  estate,  but  left  their 
own  habitations,  he  hath  reserved  in  everlasting  chains,  under 
darkness,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day."  The  orthodox 
sects  believe  that  Satan,  who  tempted  Eve  in  the  garden,  and 
Christ  in  tfie  wilderness,  was  the  same  evil  being  whom  Christ 
calls  the  prince  of  this  world — see  John,  xiv.  30 — who  came  to 
him,  and  found  nothing  in  him,  just  before  his  death  on  the  cross. 
But  Balfour  believes,  that  this  prince  was  the  civil  and  ecclesi- 
astical powers,  consisting  of  the  Romans  as  the  civil  power,  and 
of  the  Jewish  doctors  of  their  law,  as  the  ecclesiastical  power. 
But  we  would  ask,  in  the  name  of  logic,  how  two  powers,  so 
opposite  in  nature,  object,  aim,  and  origin,  as  were  the  imperious 
heathen  Romans,  the  conquerors  of  the  Jews,  and  the  ministers 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  the  Jewish  religion,  which  was  of  God,  can  be  considered  as 
consolidated^  so  as  to  be  spoken  of  as  one  prince,  and  as  coming 
to  Christ,  and  finding  nothing  in  him  to  suit  his  purpose.  The 
Romans,  in  the  cruciiiction  of  Christ,  acted  somewhat  passively, 
as  they  did  it  in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  the  wicked  Jews, 
and  the  mob  which  had  come  together  on  that  occasion,  and  not 
of  their  own  wish  and  prosecution ;  therefore,  the  whole  affair 
is  to  be  resolved  into  the  act  of  the  Sanhedrim,  or  court  of  Jewish 
Elders.  If  so,  how  are  the  Jews  to  be  reckoned  as  the  prince  of 
this  world  ;  even  allowing  Judea  to  have  been  solely  meant  by 
the  word  world,  seeing  they  were  not  then  the  ruling  power,  as 
even  the  privilege  to  keep  up  their  religion,  was  by  the  clemency 
of  the  Roman  Emperor,  and  could  not  therefore  have  any  claim 
to  the  word  prince.  But  if  it  be  insisted,  that  this  prince  who 
came  to  our  Lord,  and  found  nothing  in  him,  was  the  Roman 
authorities,  urged  on  by  the  Jews,  how  is  it  said  of  him  as  in 
John,  xii.  31,  "Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world,  now  is  the 
prince  of  this  world  cast  out ;"  as  the  Romans  were  not  cast  out 
of  their  dominion  of  Judea,  nor  of  their  other  provinces,  till  many 
ages  thereafter  ;  which  should  have  been  done  at  that  very  time, 
if  that  prince  was  the  Roman  power.  That  the  Jews  were  cast 
out  some  forty  years  after  that  time,  by  these  very  Romans,  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  case  ;  because  it  cannot  be  shown  that 
the  terms  prince  of  this  world,  is  applicable  to  their  then  situa- 
tion, having  been  for  more  than  thirty  years  from  that  very  time 
back,  despoiled  of  their  civil  power  by  the  Romans,  and  had  been 
and  then  were,  governed  by  the  emperor's  substitutes,  the  Herods. 
It  follows,  therefore,  that  this  prince,  who  came  to  Christ,  and 
found  nothing  in  him  which  was  corrupt,  was  the  devil,  that 
fallen  angel :  who  with  his  associate  angels,  were  then  bound 
under  chains  of  moral  darkness,  and  reserved  unto  the  judgment 
of  the  great  day,  as  said  by  St.  Jude,  when  they  are  to  be  cast 
into  hell,  which  it  is  said  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels.  But  if  it  be  said  that  this  devil  and  his  angels  were  the 
evil  principle  of  sin,  and  the  superstition  of  the  ancient  heathen ; 
how  is  it  that  they  have  been  cast  out,  and  what  is  the  hell  into 
which  they  have  been  cast  ?  seeing  that  even  to  this  day,  those 
nations  remain  the  same,  and  have  so  remained,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  here  and  there  a  Christian  society,  which  appeared  for  a 
little  time  and  then  vanished  away.  If  it  be  said  that  the  whole 
Roman  empire,  in  the  days  of  Constantine,  became  Christianized, 
and  that  thus  those  angels  of  evil  were  cast  down,  or  out  of  their 
places  of  power ;  yet  we  do  not  allow  that  true  religion  gained 
anything  in  the  world  by  that  occurrence,  as  from  that  founda- 
tion, and  from  that  period,  the  Roman  Catholic  heresy  sprang 
up,  which  has  tormented  the  human  race  ever  since. 

But  if  it  be  insisted  that  this  was  the  fall  of  the  angels,  we  ask 
what  then  was  the  hell  into  which  they  were  cast,  and  what 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.     .  173 

were  the  chains  of  darkness  under  which  they  were  confined,  and 
what  is  the  judgment  of  the  great  day  to  which  they  were  refert 
ed?  Surely,  it  will  not  he  said  that  the  Romans  being  compelled  -o 
favor  Christianity,  and  her  doctrines  being  taught  at  first  pure  in 
the  ancient  temples  of  their  gods,  was  the  hell  into  which  they 
were  cast ;  nor  was  this  circumstance,  those  chains  of  darkness, 
nor  the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  for  which  they  had  been  so 
long  reserved — as  spoken  of  by  St.  Peter  and  St.  Judc.  This 
national  conversion,  though  it  is  likely  but  few  in  heart,  and  in 
truth,  were  individually  converted,  must  have  been  the  hell  spo- 
ken of,  by  those  writers  in  the  New  Testament ;  as  there  is  no 
other  way  of  interpretation,  but  that  of  the  orthodox  sects, 
remaining,  for  our  belief. 

If  the  fact,  stated  in  that  saying  of  our  Lord,  namely — John 
xii.  31 — "Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world ;  now  shall  the 
prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out,"  is  believed  to  have  meant  the 
devil,  that  fallen  angel,  then  the  matter  stands  thus  by  way  of 
interpretation  : — Christ  was  about  to  permit  the  sacrifice  of  his 
own  soul  and  body,  for  the  sin  of  the  world  ;  and  by  that  means 
to  fulfil  all  promises,  all  covenants,  and  prophecies,  respecting 
himself,  and  to  open  a  way  by  which  the  ruined  souls  of  the  hu- 
man race  might  be  restored,  and  fitted  for  the  enjoyment  of  God ; 
and  thus  counteract  the  machinations  of  the  devil,  by  laying  the 
foundation  of  that  train  of  things  which  is  to  result  in  the  casting 
out  of  the  prince  of  this  world — the  devil — and  total  destruction 
of  his  power  in  the  earth.  With  this  view,  it  might  well  be  said, 
that  "  now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world  ;  now  shall  the  prince 
of  this  world  be  cast  out." 

But  as  to  the  idea  of  a  hell,  Universalists  have  found  out  thai 
there  is  no  other  hell  than  the  grave,  temporal  sorrows,  and  the 
guilty  or  troubled  consciences  of  bad  men,  in  this  life  ;  yet  much 
is  said  in  the  Scriptures  of  such  a  place,  and  that  the  wicked  shall 
go  thither  ;  which  if  it  were  in  the  conscience  only,  the  distance 
were  but  short ;  and  as  all  the  world  being  guilty  before  God,  are 
even  now,  and  ever  have  been  in  hell,  and  hell  in  them :  on 
which  account  there  is  no  distance  at  all,  as  every  man  has  it 
ever  with  him ;  as  all  are  wicked  according  to  those  people's 
views,  and  always  will  be  in  this  life,  and  were  even  made  in 
hell  nt  first,  as  Adam  and  Eve  had  their  lusts,  and  lust  is  sin,  and 
sin  is  guilt,  and  guilt  is  in  the  conscience,  and  a  guilty  conscience 
is  a  Universalis^  hell ;  Adam  and  Eve,  of  course,  were  made  in 
it,  and  all  their  children  were  born  in  it,  out  of  which  they  never 
can  get,  only  by  dying  and  descending  to  the  grave.  Sin,  there- 
fore, is  all  the  Saviour  there  is ;  for  if  sin  had  not  come  into  the 
world,  men  would  not  die,  as  death  of  all  kinds  came  by  sin : 
and  if  men  had  not  died,  and  were  not  still  to  die,  they  never 
could  get  out  of  this  hell,  as  they  never  could  die, — so  glory  to 
Bin,  and  death  for  salvation,  from  the  lusts  of  Adam  and  Eve. 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

before  they  fell ;  a  most  wonderful  philosophy  this,  a  cause  des- 
troyed by  its  own  effect. 

No  man  will  contend  that  those  sinning  angels,  whatever  they 
were,  were  cast  down,  or  into  the  grave,  as  that  is  but  the  com- 
mon receptacle  of  all  the  human  race,  both  the  good,  as  well  as 
the  bad,  and  therefore,  can  never  be  thought  of  as  a  place  of  pun- 
ishment, or  a  hell  for  the  wicked ;  neither  is  it  very  philosophies 
to  contend  that  they  were  cast  down  to  a  guilty  conscience,  as 
they  must  have  had  this  within  them,  before  they  started.  But 
St.  Peter  is  very  explicit  in  stating  that  those  angels  who  sinned, 
were  cast  down  to  hell,  and  are  reserved  unto  the  judgment ;  and 
St.  Jude  says,  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day, — which  we 
have  shown,  could  not  have  been  the  subversion  of  the  Roman 
heathen  powers  to  Christianity :  a  guilty  conscience  :  the  grave : 
nor  yet  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans: — there 
remains,  therefore,  but  one  other  idea  of  solution, — and  this  is, 
there  is  a  hell  in  eternity,  prepared  for  fallen  angels,  and  finally 
wicked  and  impenitent  men. 

But  before  we  proceed  further  in  this  subject,  we  deem  it  prop- 
er to  clear  up  a  seeming  difficulty,  with  respect  to  the  place  to 
which  those  fallen  angels  were  sent,  by  the  power  that  expelled 
them  from  heaven. 

This  difficulty  is  found  in  Revelations  xii.  7,  8,  9 — as  follows  : 
"  And  there  was  war  in  heaven  :  Michael  and  his  angels  fought 
against  the  dragon  :  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his  angels,  and 
prevailed  not,  neither  was  their  place  found  any  more  in  heaven. 
And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out — that  old  serpent,  called  the 
devil — and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world :  He  was 
cast  out  into  the  earth  ;  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him/' 

This  statement  is  exceedingly  clear,  respecting  the  existence 
of  such  a  being  as  the  devil,  and  his  angels,  and  of  their  being 
expelled  from  a  happy  condition  called  ^heaven;  yet  it  does  not 
state  that  they  were  cast  down  to  hell ;  as  does  St.  Peter,  St.  Jude, 
and  St.  Matthew,  but  "into  the  earth."  Is  the  earth  hell  therefore? 
No,  and  we  explain  it  as  follows :  At  the  time  when  the  angels 
first  sinned,  God  cast  them  oft',  by  withholding  his  favor,  which 
shut  them  out  from  all  happiness ;  and  in  addition  to  this,  it 
appears,  as  we  shall  show,  in  the  course  of  our  remarks,  that  he 
created  somewhere  in  boundless  space,  a  place,  or  location  of  fire, 
and  called  it  hell :  designed  for  the  final  state,  and  place  of  pun- 
ishment for  those  angels,  and  all  who  assimilate  themselves  to 
their  characters ;  but  as  yet,  are  not  confined  there,  having  the 
liberty — for  reasons  known  to  God — to  dwell  on  and  in  the  earth, 
and  in  the  air, — though  to  mortals  invisible,  and  doubtless  in 
other  worlds  also. 

But  how  is  it  that  it  is  said,  they  were  cast  down  to  hell,  if 
they  are  found  in  the  earth  ?  Surely  this  globe  is  not  that  hell 
:{»<>ken  of,  as  it  is  not  a  world  of  fire:  it  is  because  they  were 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  175 

cast  thitherward;  having  fitted  themselves  for  such  a  place; 
and  because,  in  the  determination  of  God,  they  were  decreed  to 
that  end  and  place,  not  from  all  eternity,  but  at  the  time  of  their 
sin,  and  are  now  actually  descending  to  that  doom,  inasmuch  as 
the  fixed  time  draws  nigher  and  nigher  when  it  shall  be  done. 
It  was  not,  therefore,  improper  for  the  apostles,  in  speaking  of 
this  thing,  to  speak  of  it  as  already  done,  as  it  was  made  certain, 
without  condition  or  contingency,  by  a  judicial  decree,  which 
cannot  be  revoked,  and  is  to  be  accomplished  at  the  time  of  the 
final  judgment  and  end  of  the  world,  or  end  of  this  mundane 
system.  But  ere  they  arrive  at  that  period,  have  been,  and  are 
now  permitted  to  wander  among  the  worlds,  which  God  has 
made,  and  for  aught  we  know  to  the  contrary,  for  the  trial 
of  the  inhabitants  of  those  worlds,  as  we  find  is  the  fact  on  this  ; 
so  that  both  ideas  are  true,  as  he,  with  his  angels,  are  not  only 
cast  down  to  hell  by  decree,  but  into  the  earth  also,  while  de- 
scending thitherward,  in  the  progression  of  time  and  events.  In 
agreement  with  this,  the  Revelator  says,  chap-  xii.  12,  "  Wo  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  for  the  devil  has  come  doxrn  unto 
you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  kut  a 
short  time,"  before  he,  with  his  angels,  will  be  cast  into  the  hell 
which  is  prepared  for  them.  But  on  the  supposition  that  this 
devil,  of  whom  St.  John  here  speaks,  was  the  lusts  and  evil  pas- 
sions of  the  human  soul,  as  developed  since  the  fall,  how  could 
he  say,  that  the  jiassions  of  man  know  anything  ?  See  above, 
because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  a  short  time,  &c.  And  how, 
or  by  what  rule,  can  the  passions  of  men  be  spoken  of  in  the 
singular  number,  and  how  can  they  be  contemplated  as  a  being, 
and  brought  to  notice  by  the  personal  pronoun  he,  as  they  are 
in  this  passage,  if  Universalists  are  correct  ? 

That  there  is  such  a  hell,  located  somewhere  in  infinite  space 
of  vast  extent,  is  evident  from  Matth.  xxv.  41.  u  Then  shall  He 
say,  (at  the  time  when  all  nations  shall  be  gathered  before  him) 
also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand,  depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into 
everlasting  fire,  prepared  (or  created)  for  the  devil  and  his  an- 
gels." Now  anything  which  is  prepared,  is  so  done  by  somn 
means,  or  being ;  and  as  no  means  or  being  is  able  to  prepare,  or 
create,  a  place  of  fire,  as  a  habitation  for  devils,  but  God,  we  find 
that  He  is  its  creator,  if  it  exists  at  all ;  and  if  it  exists,  it  has  a 
location,  because  all  things  created  are  located,  or  in  other  words 
are  somewhere,  which  is  location.  That  this  hell  is  of  vast  ex- 
tent, we  learn  from  the  circumstance  of  that  which  is  to  trans- 
pire at  the  end  of  the  world,  or  general  conflagration  ;  which  is 
that  this  earth,  on  which  we  now  dwell,  is  to  be  cast  into  it.  1  y 
the  power  of  the  Almighty  arm ;  on  which  account,  we  get  a 
glimpse  of  its  immensity;  where  doubtless  all  other  worlds, 
whose  inhabitants  have  or  may  yet  apostatize,  as  this  has  done. 


176  HISTORY   OF   THE    FALLEN 

are  to  be  cast,  out  of  the  universe,  into  this  dreadful  hell,  all  along 
the  course  of  eternal  ages. 

But  where  is  the  proof  that  such  is  to  be  the  end  of  this  earth? 
See  Rev.  xx.  13,  14.  "  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead,  (those 
drowned  therein)  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and  hell  delivered 
up  the  dead  which  were  in  them  ;  and  they  were  judged,  every 
man  according  to  their  works.  And  death  and  hell  were  (are 
to  be)  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire :  this  is  the  second  death."  But 
how  does  this  prove  it  ?  It  proves  it  as  follows  :  Death  is  here  put 
for  the  grave,  or  the  earth,  as  the  earth  is  but  one  immense 
grave,  where  sleep  all  the  dead  bodies  of  the  human  race,  and 
must  sleep  till  the  sounding  of  the  last  trump,  at  the  day  of 
judgment,  which  shall  raise  them  up  again,  when  death  or  the 
grave  shall  give  up  the  dead  which  are  in  it.  Respecting  this, 
it  is  the  opinion  of  Adam  Clarke,  as  found  in  his  Commentary, 
on  this  subject,  that  death  is  here  personified,  and  represented 
as  a  keeper  of  dead  human  bodies,  and  means  no  more  nor  less 
than  the  grave  or  earth,  as  properly  belonging  to  the  empire  of 
death,  but  at  that  period  it  is  to  give  up  its  prisoners.  But  hell, 
which  is  here  connected  with  death,  is  also  to  give  up  its  dead  ; 
what  does  this  mean  ?  The  same  author  says  hell  or  hades,  the 
place  of  separate  (wicked)  spirits.  Death  or  the  grave  has  the 
bodies  of  all  human  beings,  both  the  good  and  the  bad,  while 
hades  has  the  spirits  of  the  wicked  only.  Hades  is  therefore  to 
give  up  its  dead,  or  damned  spirits,  to  the  scrutinies  of  the  judg- 
ment, while  death,  or  the  grave,  or  the  earth,  is  to  release  the 
bodies  of  both  the  good  and  the  bad,  when  the  souls  of  those  who 
are  in  paradise  will  come  to  their  respective  bodies  again,  and 
the  souls  of  those  in  hades,  or  the  place  of  the  wicked  separate 
spirits,  will  also  be  again  united  to  their  former  bodies. 

But  where  is  this  hades,  the  present  place  of  separate  wicked 
human  spirits  ?  We  answer,  that  it  is  our  full  and  only  belief, 
that  it  is  in  the  bowels  of  this  same  earth,  on  which  we  live,  or 
the  revelator  could  not  have  spoken  of  both  the  grave  and  hades 
as  being  united  in  the  possession  of  the  souls  and  bodies  of  the 
same  beings.  If  so,  then  we  gain  the  point,  that  the  earth  is  to 
be  cast  into  that  ocean  of  fire,  which  was  origin all y  made  for 
the  fallen  angels.  Now  except  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  reve- 
lator, namely,  that  u  death  and  hell,"  as  in  this  earth,  are  to  be 
cast  into  the  lake,  or  world  of  fire,  we  know  not  what  the  mean- 
ing is  ;  as  the  language  is  too  strong  and  glaring  to  have  any 
application,  by  way  of  figure,  to  the  affairs  of  men  in  this  life. 

This  idea,  that  of  the  grave  or  death,  and  hades  being  united 
in  this  earth,  in  containing  both  the  souls  and  bodies  of  the 
wicked,  is  certainly  not  unphilosophic,  as  we  can  conceive  of  no 
sufficient  reason  why  the  earth  should  not  hold  them  both,  till 
the  time  of  judgment.  What  could  be  gained  by  separating 
them,  and  by  causing  the  spirit  to  be  transported  millions  of 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  177 

miles,  to  some  other  place  in  the  great  ocean  of  space  ;  and  then  at 
the  time  of  the  judgment,  to  be  remanded  from  thence  to  the  earth 
again  ;  while  their  bodies  should  remain  here,  in  their  graves, 
the  house  and  habitation  of  death  ?  Nothing  that  we  can  see, 
either  in  consistency  or  convenience.  Why  not  both  remain 
where  they  both  were  created,  redeemed,  and  lived,  till  both 
shall  again  be  united  in  the  resurrection,  to  be  reckoned  with  by 
the  Creator,  for  their  delinquencies  during  this  life  ? 

This  opinion  is  more  than  intimated  by  Daniel,  chap.  xii.  2. 
"A?id  many  of  them  (or  they)  that  sleep  in  the  dust  (graves)  of 
the  earth,  shall  awake,' some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to 
shame,  and  everlasting  contempt."  Now  as  the  body  is  not 
capable  of  the  sensations  of  shame,  it  follows  that  the  spirit  or 
mind  is  the  being  which  is  to  feel,  and  be  subject  to  this  distress- 
ing emotion  ;  and  as  the  body  cannot  awake  alone  to  this  feel- 
ing, it  follows  that  it  shall  be  the  mind  ;  which,  on  entering  the 
gathered  particles  of  its  ancient  body,  that  body  shall  awake  ;  but 
the  mind  within  is  that  being  who  shall  feel  this  shame  and  con- 
tempt, and  would  seem  to  favor  the  idea,  that  the  spirit  had  been 
confined  here,  as  well  as  the  body,  till  the  sounding  of  the  last 
trump,  or  day  of  judgment. 

The  idea  of  awakening  is  wholly  applicable  to  the  body,  as 
the  spirit  or  mind  will  never  sleep  in  the  dust,  or  anywhere  else  ; 
on  which  account,  it  is  said  by  that  verse  that  many  of  them 
that  sleep,  meaning  all  the  dead,  shall  awake  ;  many,  or  some, 
of  both  characters,  to  their  respective  destinies,  determined  by 
their  former  characters,  which  is  to  be  life  everlasting,  and  shame 
everlasting.  We  believe,  therefore,  that  wicked  human  spirits, 
are  immediately  after  death,  driven  down  into  the  bowels  of 
the  earth,  or  hades,  and  kept  under  chains  of  darkness,  till  the 
end  of  the  world ;  while  the  souls  of  the  righteous  immediately 
go  away  into  paradise ;  which  for  aught  we  know  is  situated 
beyond  the  atmosphere  of  this  globe,  in  the  circumambient  re- 
gions of  space ;  where  they  rest  from  their  labors,  till  the  day  of 
judgment,  to  descend  again  to  be  united  with  their  old  compan- 
ion, their  respective  bodies.  Perhaps  this  place,  paradise,  is 
what  is  meant  by  the  remark  of  the  Saviour,  when  on  the  cross ; 
who  said  to  the  penitent  thief,  "this  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  paradise."  But  paradise  is  not  the  ultimate  heaven  and 
home  of  happy  human  spirits  ;  yet  this  opposes  no  difficulty  to 
the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  to  the  disciples,  which  was,  "where 
I  am,  there  shall  my  disciples  be  also,"  as  this  shall  be  fulfilled 
at  the  time  of  the  day  of  judgment.  In  this  paradise  it  was,  that 
Christ  when  he  would,  remained  during  the  forty  days  which 
elapsed  from  the  time  of  his  resurrection  and  his  ascension  to  hea- 
ven, from  mount  Olivet,  as  he  told  Mary  (John,  xx.  17)  that  he  had 
not  yet  ascended  to  his  father  ;  which  proves  beyond  all  doubt  or 
contradiction,  that  the  paradise  in  which  the  Saviour  on  the  cross 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

promised  to  the  dying  and  pardoned  thief,  that  he  should  be  with 
him  there  that  very  day,  because  he  told  Mary,  which  was  the 
third  day  after  his  death,  that  he  had  not  yet  ascended  to  her  Fa- 
ther and  his  Father,  to  his  God  and  to  her  God,  which  place  is 
the  great  and  final  heaven  of  the  saints.  In  this  paradise  it  was 
where  the  souls  of  Lazarus,  of  the  widow's  son.  and  of  Jarius's 
daughter,  were  at  rest,  which  Christ  remanded  when  he  raised 
those  persons  from  the  dead.  It  was  from  thence  the  soul  of  the 
lad,  which  Elijah  the  prophet  prayed  might  come  again  into  his 
body,  was  remanded ;  and  from  whence  came  the  souls  of  all 
those  saints  which  arose  from  their  graves  at  the  time  of  the  re- 
surrection of  our  Lord,  and  appeared  to  many  in  the  holy  city  ; 
and  in  our  opinion,  for  the  reason  above  given,  is  where  all  the 
souls  of  all  the  righteous,  from  Abel  the  son  of  Adam  to  this  pre- 
sent time,  and  from  hence  till  the  death  of  the  last  saint,  do  rest 
till  Christ  shall  come  from  heaven,  his  ancient  seat  of  empire,  to 
judge  the  world,  when  the  whole  company  of  paradise,  with  their 
raised  and  spiritualised  bodies,  shall  go  away  with  him  to  eternal 
glory,  in  the  first  and  primeval  heaven  of  the  angels,  from  whence 
they  who  sinned  were  cast  out. 

That  there  is  such  a  place  as  hell,  see  Rev.  xix.  20.  u  And 
the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet,  that 
wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived  them 
that  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  them  that  worshipped 
his  image.  These  both  were  cast  alive  (after  the  resurrection ) 
into  a  lake  of  fire  bunting  with  brimstone? 

To  such  a  place  as  a  lake  of  fire,  the  Revelator  has  several  al- 
lusions. See  chap.  xx.  10.  "And  the  devil  that  deceived  them 
was  [is  to  be]  cast  into  a  lake  of  tire  and  brimstone,  where  the 
beast  and  the  false  prophet  shall  be  tormented  day  and  nigh  t, 
forever  and  ever."  The  words  here,  ever  and  ever,  are  repeated 
merely  for  harmony's  sake ;  as  on  and  onward,  can  never  fur- 
nish an  argument — as  Balfour  supposes  of  limitation,  merely 
because  the  words  are  repeated — and  add  nothing  to  their  mean- 
ing. The  often-repeated  forever  and  ever,  in  both  the  Hebrew 
and  Greek,  is  agreeable  with  the  idioms  of  both  languages,  and 
was  always  used  to  give  force  and  interiseness,  by  the  best  wri- 
ters of  the  ages,  when  those  languages  were  in  use.  No  good 
scholar  can  dispute  this. 

The  quibble  therefore,  of  Universalists  on  these  words,  forever 
and  ever,  is  but  a  quibble ;  because  they  are  found  applied  to 
lesser  subjects  than  eternal  ones.  The  terms  day  and  night, 
likewise,  are  seized  upon  by  Universalists,  to  show  that  all  this 
torment  and  pain,  is  suffered  in  this  life,  because  it  is  here  that 
day  and  night  exists,  but  not  in  eternity  :  and  though  they  may 
not,  yet  may  nevertheless  be  used  in  reference  to  eternal  suffer- 
ings ;  inasmuch  as  day  and  night  comprehends  all  time  here ; 
and  that  while  day  and  night  succeed  among  the  globes  of  God 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  181 

for  the  accommodation  of  their  inhabitants,  while  eternity  en- 
dures ;  so  shall  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet,  and  they  that 
have  his  mark  in  their  hand,  or  forehead,  be  tormented  in  this 
lake  of  fire.  See  again  the  same  chapter,  (xx.)  verse  15.  "And 
whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  [salvation 
in  eternity]  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  Also,  chap.  xxi.  8. 
"  But  the  fearful,  and  the  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and 
murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerors,  and  idolaters,  and 
all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  of  fire  which  burneth 
with  brimstone  :  which  is  the  second  death. 

Now  if  this  language  does  not  in  fact,  describe  literally,  the 
existence  of  a  hell  in  eternity,  we  have  no  conception  of  its  mean- 
ing, whatever ;  as  there  is  no  condition  in  this  life,  which  is  not 
more  or  less  mingled  with  circumstances  of  comfort,  while  life 
lasts,  and  especially  with  such  as  walk  about  at  liberty,  though 
ever  so  wicked.  But  the  Revelator  speaks  of  a  punishment  which 
has  in  it  no  relief,  no  circumstances  of  amelioration,  no  hope,  no 
comfort,  but  one  unmingled  state  of  suffering  and  pain.  See 
chap.  xiv.  10.  "  The  same  [such  as  worship  the  beast  and  his 
image]  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is 
poured  out  without  mixture,  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ; 
and  lie  [or  they]  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone,  in 
the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb." 
Can  such  a  condition  be  realized  in  this  life  ?  Never  !  But 
when  is  this  earth  to  set  out  on  its  journey  of  damnation  ?  We 
answer  :  at  the  end  of  time — according  to  Scripture — when  the 
bodies  of  both  the  good  and  the  bad,  shall  be  made  to  live  again ; 
and  the  spirits,  or  minds  which  once  inhabited  them  on  the  earth, 
shall  be  brought  from  their  respective  abodes,  hades,  and  para- 
dise, and  be  united  again.  At  that  time,  the  good  are  to  be  divi- 
ded from  the  bad:  the  former  are  to  be  taken  to  heaven,  while 
the  latter  are  to  be  left  on  the  earth, — when  it  is  to  be  set  on  fire, 
and  cast  far  off  out  of  the  family  of  the  universe,  into  the  hell 
which  was  created  for  the  purpose  before  stated  ;  where  it  will 
sink  down  in  its  dreary  depths,  and  become,  by  the  action  of  fire, 
amalgamated  with  that  world  of  horror.     [See  the  Plate.) 

The  overturning  of  empires — the  sacking  of  cities,  towns  and 
countries — pestilence  and  death,  with  all  the  miseries  to  which 
human  temporal  existence  is  exposed — is  nothing,  when  com- 
pared with  the  figures — if  they  are  but  figures — which  are 
used  in  the  book  of  Revelations,  and  other  parts  of  the  Bible  to 
describe  the  sorrows  of  the  damned  in  another  world.  If  those 
appalling  descriptions  extend  to  nothing  more  than  what  happens 
in  this  life — the  worst  of  which,  is  the  way  to  death,  and  that  is 
the  end  of  it,  according  to  Universalists — then  are  those  descrip- 
tions untrue,  and  unbecoming  the  dignity  of  holy  inspiration  ;  as 
the  mind  is  led  thereby  to  apprehend  that  which  is  never  to  take 
place,  and  very  much  needs  the  consoling  sophisms  of  Univer- 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

salist  divinity,  to  allay  unnecessary  fears,  conjured  up  in  the 
mind,  by  reading  that  book  of  truth — the  holy  Scriptures.  For 
this  great  text  book  of  the  Christian  world,  to  say  that  there  is  a 
place  of  unutterable  torment,  consisting  of  the  sting  of  the  worm 
(despair  and  guilt,)  that  dieth  not,  and  of  a  lake  of  fire,  the  smoke 
of  which  ascendeth  up  forever  and  ever ;  in  which  the  wicked, 
the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  the  devil  and  his  angels,  are  to 
be  tormented  without  end, — is  unaccountable  ;  and  surpasses  all 
the  stories  of  tragic  romance,  produced  by  the  wildest  effusions  of 
mad  men,  if  it  is  to  be  understood  in  the  way  which  Universalists 
doctrinize  on  such  subjects.  What  sorrow,  or  temporal  afflic- 
tion, is  that,  which  can  be  compared  to  dwelling  in  devouring 
flames,  or  to  being  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire,  even  for  a  day,  or 
an  hour  7  but  when  we  are  told  that  it  is  to  be  without  end,  how 
much  does  this  exceed  all  the  sorrows  of  this  life,  whether  of  body 
or  of  mind ;  and  is  it  right,  is  it  logical,  that  the  figure  should 
so  much  exceed  the  reality  ? 

But  the  reality  is  not  exceeded  by  the  figure ;  we  cannot  bring 
ourselves  to  believe  that  these  descriptions  are  false  and  fictitious, 
or  that  effort  is  made  in  that  book,  the  Bible,  to  conjure  up  unreal 
fears.  If  it  is  Scriptural,  philosophical,  and  agreeable,  with  the 
government  of  God,  that  anything  called  a  hell  in  this  life, 
should  be  a  fact,  as  Universalists  contend  is  the  fact,  how  is  it  to 
be  shown,  that  under  the  government  of  the  same  God,  there  can 
be  no  such  existence  in  eternity.  If  there  is  no  hell  in  eter- 
nity, if  there  are  no  fallen  angels,  no  devil,  nor  a  day  of  judg- 
ment to  come,  why  does  not  the  Scripture  say  so;  as  these 
opinions  were  held  by  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  our  Lord  and  the 
writers  of  the  New  Testament ;  who  have  not  so  much  as 
glanced  at  their  non-existence,  nor  anywhere  opposed  those 
errors,  but  everywhere  shown  these  things  to  be  true,  and  every- 
where warned  men  to  secure  themselves  from  them,  by  laying 
hold  on  the  hope  of  the  gospel.  But  if  men  will  not  lay  hold  of  this 
hope,  it  makes  but  little  difference  according  to  Universalists,  as  the 
poor  creatures  will  soon  pass  off  the  stage  of  life  to  a  sound  sleep 
of  both  body  and  soul,  in  the  grave,  (or  hell,)  till  the  time  of  the 
resurrection,  when  they  will  awake,  some  from  the  grave  of  a 
suicide,  others  from  a  state  of  moral  degradation,  far  enough 
below  a  brute,  to  all  the  joys  of  holiness  at  God's  right  hand. 

But  the  idea  of  such  a  place  is  not  entirely  peculiar  to  the 
New  Testament,  as  we  meet  with  allusions  to  it  in  the  book  of 
Job,  chap.  xi.  8,  where  it  is  said  that  the  wisdom  of  God  is  "  as 
high  as  heaven,"  and  "deeper  than  Ae//."  If  the  hell  here 
alluded  to  is  but  the  grave,  the  comparison  is  but  a  poor  one  ;  as 
the  depth  of  a  grave  contrasts  but  poorly  with  the  height  of  hea- 
ven, whether  it  be  the  heaven  of  heavens,  or  the  ordinary  height 
of  the  atmosphere.  In  2d  Samuel,  xxii.  0,  David  says  that  the 
sorrows  of  hell  compassed  him  about.     Now  if  the  grave  alone 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  183 

is  meant  here  by  David,  it  is  very  singular,  as  there  is  no  pain 
or  sorrow  in  the  grave,  and  could  not  therefore  be  alluded  to  as 
having  sorrows  of  any  kind,  but  as  only  a  state  of  insensibility ; 
therefore  hell  is  a  place  of  sorrow,  and  was  believed  in  as  such 
by  David.  But  the  sorrows  which  encompassed  David  about, 
which  he  calls  the  sorrows  of  hell,  were  not,  however,  the  sor- 
rows of  a  guilty  conscience,  but  the  persecutions  of  Saul,  his 
father-in-law,  and  his  assassin  soldiers ;  as  the  time  and  occur- 
rences which  he  celebrates  in  that  psalm,  were  long  before  his 
sin  in  the  affair  of  Uriah  and  Bathsheba,  and  his  sorrows  on  that 
account ;  which,  however,  he  never  calls  a  hell.  Or  if  we  say 
this  hell,  which  is  not  so  deep  as  the  wisdom  of  God,  is  the  guilty 
consciences  of  the  wicked ;  still  there  is  a  poverty  in  the  com- 
parison which  is  utterly  unworthy  the  divine  inspiration.  But 
if  the  wisdom  of  God  in  the  comparison,  is  allowed  to  reach 
beyond  all  finite  happiness,  even  as  it  is  developed  in  heaven, 
and  beyond  all  suffering  as  it  is  developed  in  hell,  then  is  there  a 
majesty,  a  strength,  and  force  in  the  comparison ;  as  it  exhibits 
the  wisdom  of  God  as  reaching  above  and  beneath  all  power,  all 
being  and  principle,  distinct  from  God,  and  even  to  the  mystery 
of  his  own  incommunicable  being. 

That  great  Hebrew  poet,  prophet  and  king,  has,  in  another 
place — see  one  of  his  Psalms,  namely,  ix.  17 — spoken  as  plainly 
as  language  can  speak,  on  this  matter,  by  stating  that  "the 
wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that  forget 
God."  But  if  the  grave  is  the  hell  which  is  here  meant,  then 
the  same  fate  awaits  the  righteovs  as  the  wicked,  for  they  must 
all  die  and  return  into  the  earth.  Most  certainly  David  meant 
to  make  more  difference  than  this  between  the  final  end  of  the 
good  and  the  bad  ;  yet  as  any  one  can  see,  there  is  no  difference 
made,  if  the  mere  grave  is  all.  But  if  it  be  said  that  a  guilty 
conscience  was  the  hell  he  meant,  yet  the  application  is  rather 
awkward,  as  a  guilty  conscience  is  already  in  the  minds  of  the 
wicked  ;  and  how  are  they  to  be  turned  into  their  own  minds 
or  consciences?  But  if  there  is  such  a  place,  then  is  there  force 
in  that  word  of  inspiration,  "  the  wicked  shall  be  turned  into 
hell?  But  if  they  repent  and  live,  then  their  characters  as 
wicked  characters,  cease  to  exist,  on  which  account  they  cannot 
be  turned  into  hell ;  as  they  are  not  wicked  after  having  repented, 
and  pardon  having  been  bestowed,  if  they  die  in  that  condition. 

Here  then  another  quibble  of  Universalists  against  the  orthodox 
opinion  about  a  hell,  is  answered.  They,  the  Universalists,  say 
that  if  the  wicked  are  to  be  turned  into  hell,  then  all  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth  in  all  ages  will  go  there,  because  they  are  all 
wicked;  and  in  this  way  make  it  out  for  the  orthodox,  that  a 
universal  damnation  must  take  place.  But  to  this  we  reply, 
that  if  the  wicked  become  changed  in  their  character,  then 
the  penalty  cannot  touch  them.     Thus  we  get  clear  of  the  charge 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  damning  the  whole  race;  while  Universalists  do  not  even 
pretend  to  save  one  single  individual  of  the  whole  family  of 
man  from  that  place,  but  teach  that  all  men  must  inevitably 
descend  into  hell.  But  how  do  they  do  this  ?  why  by  making 
a  man's  own  bosom  or  conscience  that  hell,  out  of  which  he 
is  to  come  as  soon  as  he  has  suffered  enough.  David,  how- 
ever, says  nothing  about  any  one  getting  out  of  it,  by  any 
means;  how,  therefore,  came  Universalists  so  much  wiser 
than  David,  or  than  any  of  the  writers  of  either  the  Old  or 
the  New  Testament,  as  we  do  not  find  any  mention  of  a  re- 
lease from  such  a  condition,  in  all  their  writings. 

If  there  is  no  created  hell,  such  as  we  find  described  in  the 
Scriptures,  how  is  it  that  Christ  has  said,  (Matth.  v.  22,)  in 
his  sermon  on  the  Mount,  a  long  while  before  the  subject  of 
the  destruction  of  the  Jews  is  agitated  in  the  New  Testament, 
that  for  a  certain  sin  which  a  man  could  commit,  he  should  be 
in  danger  of  hell  fire.  But  how  is  this  possible,  if  there  is 
no  such  hell  ?  How  can  a  man  be  in  danger  of  that  which 
does  not  exist  ?  This  would  have  been  but  an  awkward  po- 
sition for  Him  who  spoke  as  never  man  spoke  ;  of  which  the 
cunning  Jews,  would  not  fail  to  have  upbraided  him  with. 
The  difficulty,  however,  says  a  Universalist,  is  easy  enough 
got  along  with ;  as  that  fire  to  which  the  Saviour  there 
alludes,  was  but  the  fire  of  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom, 
in  which,  if  a  man  called  his  brother  a  fool,  he  was  exposed 
to  be  burnt.  But  the  Jews  did  not  understand  the  Saviour 
as  speaking  of  that  fire,  because  at  that  time  it  had  been  ex- 
tinguished, and  out  of  use  many  hundred  years.  Respecting 
this,  we  have  the  following  from  the  pen  of  Adam  Clarke  ; 
who  says,  that  "  from  the  circumstance  of  this  valley  having 
once  been  the  scene  of  infernal  sacrifices,  as  practiced  by  the 
Canaanitish  pagans  :  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time,  used  the 
word  Gehenna,  or  Ghihinom,  or  place  of  the  valley  of  the  son 
of  Hinnom, — for  hell,  the  place  of  the  damned  in  eternity." 
From  which,  the  thing  is  clear  that  our  Lord  spoke  not  of  the 
fire  of  that  valley — as  once  in  use,  hundreds  of  years  before 
that  time — but  of  the  fire  of  hell;  of  which  the  fire  of  that 
valley  was  a  type,  as  understood  by  the  Jews.  If  this  was 
not  so,  the  Jews  could  have  laughed  him  to  scorn,  when  he 
told  them  in  his  inimitable  sermon  on  the  Mount,  that  for  a 
certain  sin  a  man  should  be  in  danger  of  the  fire  of  the  valley 
of  the  son  of  Hinnom,  when  they  all  knew  that  there  was 
no  fire  there  of  the  kind,  nor  had  been  for  many  centuries. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  the  Jewish  elders,  forming  the  great- 
er Sanhedrim,  cpuld  condemn  to  death  by  fire,  any  Jew  who 
should  call  a  brother  a  fool ;  which  meant  in  the  language 
as  spoken  by  them  at  that  time,  apostacy  from  their  religion, 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  185 

which  they  expressed  by  the  word  Moreh.  Now  if  a  Jew, 
in  malice,  so  charged  his  brother  with  being  an  apostate  from 
God  and  the  law  of  Moses,  and  could  not  prove  it,  the  greater 
Sanhedrim,  could,  if  they  pleased,  punish  him  with  death  by 
fire.  But  though  this  was  the  case,  yet  as  there  is  no  fire  in 
a  man's  conscience,  even  though  he  is  guilty  of  sin,  nor  yet 
in  the  grave,  both  of  which  Universalists  say  are  hells  ;  there 
could  have  been  no  propriety  in  the  Saviour's  calling  the  fire, 
with  which  such  an  offender  might  have  been  burned,  hell 
fire,  but  should  rather  have  said  the  fire  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
as  it  was  their  officers  who  must  kindle  it,  if  it  was  kindled 
at  all ;  as  the  fires  of  Gehenna  had  long  ceased  to  be  in  use 
for  the  purposes  practised  by  the  ancient  people  of  the 
country,  the  Canaanites,  such  as  burning  their  children,  and 
offering  by  fire  human  sacrifices  to  their  gods.  For  which 
reason  the  Jews,  in  our  Saviour's  time,  used  the  word  Ghi- 
hinom,  or  Gehenna,  or  any  word  by  which  that  valley  was 
known,  for  hell,  the  place  of  the  damned  in  another  world. 
Disprove  this  who  can. 

But  in  further  proof  of  this  opinion,  we  bring  from  the  13th 
chapter  of  Matthew,  several  statements  of  the  Saviour  to  his 
disciples.  It  appears  that  at  a  certain  time  he  had  spoken  to 
the  multitude  several  parables,  as  that  of  the  sower,  the  tares 
and  the  wheat,  and  of  the  taking  of  fishes  in  a  net,  the  mean- 
ing of  which  his  disciples  did  not  at  all  comprehend.  But  af- 
ter their  master  had  sent  away  the  multitude,  he  took  his  dis- 
ciples into  a  house,  and  at  their  request  explained  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  parables  in  so  clear  a  manner,  as  that  all  pos- 
sible mistake  is  moved  out  of  the  way.  But  what  was  the 
literal  meaning  of  the  parables  which  had  but  just  then  been 
given  to  the  people,  they  were  as  follows.  The  field,  he  told 
them  is  the  world,  (not  Judea  alone,  but  the  whole  world)  the 
good  seed  is  the  children  of  the  kingdom,  or  in  other  words,  the 
righteous  in  the  estimation  of  God  ;  but  the  tares  are  the 
wicked,  or  children  of  the  wicked  one,  the  devil;  and  also 
the  enemy  who  had  sowed  the  tares  in  the  field,  was  the  de- 
vil,  and  the  harvesting  of  that  field  i3  to  be  the  end  of  the 
worh!,  and  the  reapers  are  to  be  the  angels  of  God.  He  also 
told  them,  that  as  men,  in  harvesting  a  field  always  gather  out 
the  tares  from  the  wheat,  and  bind  them  in  bundles,  and  burn 
them  wi\h  fire — so  it  shall  be  in  the  end  of  this  world.  For 
the  s>n  of  man,  meaning  himself,  will  at  this  time  send  out 
his  angeb  from  heaven,  (not  from  Rome)  and  gather  out 
of  hia  kingdom  all  things  that  offend,  and  them  which  do  ini- 
quity, and  shall  cast  them  into  a  furnace  of  fire,  which  is  the 
hell  of  the  Scriptures. 

Our  Lord  says  that  the  reapers  of  his  field,  at  the  end  of 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

the  world,  will  be  the  angels  ;  but  Universalists  say  that  those 
angels  were  to  be  the  Roman  soldiers  under  Titus,  who  con- 
sisted of  a  vast  assemblage  of  many  nations,  subject  to  the 
arms  of  Rome,  heathen,  savage,  half-savage  and  civilized — 
who,  as  a  mighty  flood,  poured,  at  the  time  of  the  siege  of 
that  city,  around  Jerusalem,  fierce  as  evening  wolves  in  search 
of  prey.  Fine  angels  these,  to  be  supposed  as  belonging  to 
Christ,  and  to  be  sent  by  him  to  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all 
things  that  offend,  and  them  which  do  iniquity,  when  these 
very  angels  were  the  quintessence  of  iniquity  itself,  and 
are  in  a  certain  place,  by  anticipation,  spoken  of  by  the  Sa- 
viour, as  the  abomination  foretold  by  Daniel,  which  maketh 
desolate,  which  by  no  Scripture  precedent  that  we  are  ac- 
quainted with,  could  be  called  angels  of  God,  in  any  sense  of 
the  word. 

But  we  think  we  are  able  to  bring  several  Scriptures  in 
support  of  the  13th  of  Matthew,  and  of  a  day  of  judgment, 
and  of  the  destruction  of  the  whole  mundane  system  or  earth, 
at  that  time,  by  which  also  to  disprove  the  opinion  of  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  having  been  that  day  of 
judgment.  See  Matth.  xxv.  31.  "When  the  son  of  man  shall 
come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  (of  heaven)  with 
him,  then  he  shall  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory.  And  be- 
fore him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations;  and  he  shall  separate 
them  one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd  divides  his  sheep  from 
the  goats.     And  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but 

the  goats  on  the  left Then  shall  he  say  unto  them  on  the 

left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire, 
prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  Now  to  show  plainly 
that  the  powers  of  the  Romans  could  not  have  been  the  angels 
of  which  the  above  question  speaks,  we  notice  the  remarka- 
bly qualifying  words  ;  "All  the  holy  angels  with  him."  The 
Romans  were  not  holy,  but  rather  abominable,  as  we  have 
already  shown,  and  therefore  were  not  the  angels  spoken  of. 
But  there  is  another  feature  to  accompany  the  coming  of 
Christ,  at  the  end  of  the  world, — for  which  we  are  now  con- 
tending, and  that  is  :  he  is  to  come  in  his  glory  ;  u  and  every 
eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  him  ;  and  all 
kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.  Rev.  i.  7. 
Did  Christ  appear  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  in  his  glory, 
accompanied  by  angels  ?  We  have  not  heard  that  he  did  ; — 
Josephus  says  nothing  of  it. 

But  another  feature  still : — "  When  the  Son  of  man  shall 
come,  he  is  to  sit  upon  a  throne,  and  before  him  all  nations 
are  to  be  gathered."  At  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  there  was 
only  one  nation  gathered,  and  that  was  the  Jews ;  as  no  man 
will  be  so  beside  himself,  as  to  say  the  Romans  were  judged 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  187 

at  ihat  time,  when  they  were  the  triumphant  and  victorious 
party  :  neither  did  they  comprise  all  the  nations  of  (he  earth. 
That  time,  therefore,  was  not  the  day  of  judgment  which  the 
text  alluds  to,  as  it  does  not  accomplish  the  things  foretold  of 
it.  At  the  true  day  of  judgment,  every  eve  is  to  see  him 
(Christ)  and  particularly  those  who  pierced  him  on  the 
cross,  according  to  the  Scripture,  as  above  quoted,  when 
truly  all  the  nations  which  have  lived  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face, shall  stand  before  him  to  give  an  account  of  the  deeds 
done  in  the  body,  with  every  idle  word — which  was  not  done 
at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem. 

St.  Mark  gives  much  the  same  description.  See  chap.  Till. 
38.  u  Whosoever,  therefore,  shall  be  ashamed  of  me,  and  of 
my  words,  in  this  adulterous  and  sinful  generation,  of  him  also 
shall  the  son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh  in  the  glory 
of  his  Father,  with  the  holy  angels.''''  Here  again  it  is  said 
that  his  angels,  who  were  to  accompany  him  at  that  day,  were 
to  be  holy ;  which  the  Romans  were  not,  for  they  are  called 
the  abomination  which  maketh  desolate,  and  therefore  were 
not  the  angels  alluded  to  ;  and  of  consequence  the  destruction 
of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans  was  not  the  day  of  judgment  of 
the  Scriptures,  which  is  to  take  place  at  the  end  of  the 
world. 

St.  Luke  says  the  same  thing.  (See  chap.  ix.  26.)  That 
there  is  to  be  a  day  of  judgment  different  from  that  of  the 
ruin  of  the  Jews,  we  further  prove  from  IstThes.  iv.  16.  u  For 
the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven,  with  a  shout,  with 
the  voice  of  the  archangel,  (Michael)  and  with  the  trump  of 
God,  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise."  Now  as  before  ask- 
ed we  here  ask  again,  did  the  Lord  himself  descend  from 
heaven,  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and 
with  the  trump  of  God  ?  and  did  the  dead  in  Christ  rise  to  life 
at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  ?  We  have  never  heard  that  any  of 
these  things  transpired  at  that  time.  To  be  in  Christ,  is  to 
be  alive,  in  the  moral  sense  of  the  word  ;  by  which  we  per- 
ceive that  to  be  the  dead  in  Chsist,  is  to  be  dead  in  the  grave, 
having  died  a  Christian:  to  be  raised,  therefore,  from  the 
dead,  is  to  be  raised  from  the  grave,  at  the  time  of  the  resur- 
rection ;  which  did  not  take  place  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem, 
as  the  Christians  were  not  dead  at  that  time,  either  morally 
or  naturally,  and  could  not  therefore  be  the  subjects  of  a  re- 
surrection in  any  sense.  2d  Thes.  i.  7,  speaks  of  the  same 
thing  as  follows  :  "  And  to  you  who  are  troubled,  rest  with 
ub  :  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven,  with 
his  mighty  angels,  in  flau.ing  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them 
that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord 

12 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  (eternal  as 
it  is  in  the  original)  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  glory  of  his  power." 

What  did  the  apostle  mean,  by  saying,  "  rest  with  us  ?"  Did 
he  not  mean  rest  with  us  in  hope,  till  the  time  when  Christ  shall 
come  to  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  1  But  it  is  contended, 
by  Universalists,  that  as  the  Jews,  who  were  carried  away  cap- 
tives by  the  Romans,  have  never  recovered  their  national  exist- 
ence, that  it  is  they  who  were  to  suffer  everlasting-  'punish- 
ment and  banishment  from  the  glory  of  his  power.  But  this 
cannot  be,  as  the  Jews  were  no  more  banished  from  the  glo- 
ry of  God's  power,  than  any  of  the  rest  of  the  human  race, 
as  the  works  of  his  hands,  in  nature  and  in  providence,  were 
around  about  the  Jews,  in  captivity  as  at  Jerusalem,  and  were  not, 
therefore,  banished  from  his  presence  and  the  glory  of  his  power. 
Consequently  some  other  time,  circumstance  or  period  is  meant, 
when  such  things  are  to  take  place,  than  took  place  when  the 
Jews  were  overturned  as  a  nation. 

St.  Paul  believed  in  such  a  day  of  judgment,  as  we  are  con- 
tending for,  when  all  mankind  shall  be  judged  at  once,  and  every 
one  give  an  account  for  himself  to  God,  for  the  things  done  in 
his  body,  or  lifetime.  See  Acts,  xvii.  31.  "Because  He  (God) 
hath  appointed  a  day  (or  time)  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness,  by  that  man  (Jesus,)  whom  he  hath  or- 
dained; whereof  he  hath  given  assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that 
he  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead."  Now  if  we  are  to  believe 
that  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  the  very  day  of  judgment, 
so  often  spoken  of  in  the  New  Testament,  and  no  other,  we  are 
compelled  to  the  strange  conclusion,  that  for  that  cause  alone, 
Jesus  Christ  was  raised  from  the  dead — merely  to  give  assurance 
to  all  men,  that  some  forty  years  from  that  time  the  Romans 
were  going  to  destroy  the  Jews  as  a  nation,  but  not  as  a  people  ; 
which  would  as  surely  have  taken  place  without  that  assurance 
as  with  it.  And  of  what  consequence  could  it  have  been  to  all 
men,  whether  they  knew  this  or  not  ?  as  Jerusalem  was  of  no 
account  to  those  parts  of  the  earth  having  nothing  to  do  with 
her ;  and  if  to  give  assurance  to  all  men  of  that  war  between  the 
Jews  and  the  Romans,  was  all  the  reason  why  God  raised  his 
Son  the  Lord  from  the  dead,  we  think  the  forerunner  or  sign 
greater  than  the  event  signified ;  which  is  to  invert  the  order 
of  things,  and  ridicules  the  ways  of  the  Eternal  Mind. 

Universalists  generally  contend,  that  Christ  was  raised  from 
the  dead  merely  to  demonstrate  and  to  bring  to  light  the  doctrine 
of  a  general  resurrection  of  all  human  beings  from  death,  at  a 
set  time,  which  set  time  is  the  day  of  final  judgment,  as  held  by 
the  orthodox.  But  if  St.  Paul  here  meant  that  Christ  arose  from 
the  dead,  merely  in  order  to  give  assurance  to  all  men  that  God, 
by  the  Romans,  was  going  to  punish  the  Jews  some  time  or 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  189 

other,  then  are  Universalists  entirely  out  of  the  balance ;  for  the 
circumstance  cannot  be  used  to  give  assurance  of  both  events, 
the  destruction  of  the  Jews  and  the  resurrection  of  mankind. 
But  the  truth  is,  neither  of  these  events  are  alluded  to  by  St. 
Paul  in  that  verse ;  because  he  says,  that  at  a  given  day,  the 
world,  the  whole  world,  is  to  be  judged;  and  as  Judea  was  not 
the  whole  world,  and  as  the  dead  were  not  then  raised,  it  follows 
of  necessity  that  the  destruction  of  the  Jews,  by  the  Romans,  was 
not  the  event  spoken  of  in  the  text,  but  the  end  of  the  world,  yet 
to  come.  This  opinion  is  still  further  corroborated  by  St.  Mat- 
thew, by  St.  Peter,  and  by  St.  Paul.  See  Matth.  xii.  36,  where 
the  speaker  is  the  Son  of  God  himself,  who  there  says  in  relation 
to  the  day  of  judgment :  «  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  idle 
word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof  at  the 
day  of  judgment."  Was  this  done  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  ? 
did  any  man  there  give  an  account  of  every  idle  word  which  he 
may  have  spoken,  or  even  of  one  word,  in  his  whole  life  before  ? 
No,  the  idea  is  too  simple  to  be  mentioned.  That  this  text  embra- 
ces all  mankind,  who  are  thus  to  account  for  every  idle  word,  is 
shown  from  the  terms  men  shall  speak  ;  as  the  word  men  stands 
for  the  whole  race,  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  even  till  the  last  day. 
In  allusion  to  this  day,  St.  Peter  has  written — 1st  Peter,  iv.  5 — 
respecting  the  finally  impenitent,  who  he  says,  "  shall  give  ac- 
count to  him  that  is  ready  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead." 
Also,  Romans,  xiv.  12,  "  So  then  every  one  of  us  shall  give 
account  of  himself  to  God." 

We  know  that  much  stress  is  laid  on  the  fact  of  the  afflictions 
of  the  wretched  Jews,  when  their  city,  their  government,  and 
their  religion,  was  brought  to  an  end  by  the  Romans ;  and  that 
Universalists  seem  to  think  their  sufferings  to  have  been  bad 
enough  to  bear  all  the  dreadful  figures  and  prophecies  of  their 
troubles,  without  refering  such  figures  and  such  prophesyings  to 
the  burning  of  the  world  for  their  fulfilment.  But  to  this  we 
demur,  and  ask  the  question,  Was  the  condition  of  the  Christians 
(though  at  the  exact  juncture  when  Jerusalem  was  overthrown, 
they  were  permitted  by  the  Divine  Providence  to  flee  from  that 
doomed  metropolis,  to  a  place  called  Pella,  where  they  were 
safe.)  any  better  upon  the  whole  than  the  Jews?  we  think  not; 
for  who  does  not  know,  that  they,  in  a  very  little  time,  became  the 
objects  of  universal  hatred  and  persecution ;  which  continued  till 
the  age  of  Constantino,  with  but  little  intermission,  a  period  of 
nearly  three  hundred  years ;  during  which  time,  no  less  than  ten 
general  persecutions  took  place,  by  which  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands were  destroyed  from  the  earth,  in  all  the  ways  that  bigotry, 
malice  and  cruelty  could  invent,  as  exerted  upon  them  by  these 
very  Roman  powers,  who  had  the  Jews  in  captivity  ;  and  since 
that  lime  as  many  more  by  the  Roman  Catholics,  according  to 
the  history  of  the  church.     On  which  account  we  do  not  per- 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

ceive,  that  What  is  called  by  Universalists  the  hell  of  the  Jews,  in 
a  state  of  slavery  and  national  ruin,  was  any  worse,  if  as  bad  as 
the  hell  of  the  Christians  in  a  state  of  persecution.  Wherefore 
it  is  clear  that  the  plan  of  the  Universal  its,  in  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture, makes  out  no  difference,  even  in  this  life,  between  the  good 
and  the  bad,  on  a  large  scale  ;  no  difference  between  the  tares 
and  the  wheat,  as  to  their  temporal  or  eternal  condition  ;  making 
revealed  religion  a  complete  nulity  in  the  affairs  of  men ;  which 
is  Deism.  We  should  think  that  religion,  if  Universalism  is  true, 
and  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  would  produce  temporal  happiness, 
above  that  of  irreligion;  as  it  is  a  system  altogether  earthly, 
according  to  Universalists,  having  nothing  to  do  with  eternity. 
But  do  the  Scriptures  say  thus  ?  see  Pslams,  chap,  xxxiv.  19, 
u  Many  are  the  afflictions  of  the  righteous."  The  same  fact  is 
attested  by  several  of  the  New  Testament  writers,  see  John,  xvi. 
33,  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation :  but  be  of  good 
cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world?  Do  you  think  he  meant 
Judea  by  the  word  world,  which  he  had  overcome  ?  or  did  he 
mean  that  he  was  about  to  make  atonement  for  the  sin  of  the 
world,  the  whole  human  race  ?  Also,  Acts,  xiv.  22,  it  is  said, 
"that  we  must,  through  much  tribulation,  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  God."  Rev.  i.  9,  the  Revelator  told  the  Christian 
churches  that  he  was  their  "  companion  and  brother  in  tribula- 
tion, in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ;"  and  in 
chap.  ii.  9,  he  has  said  again,  that  the  spirit  knew  their 
"  works,  and  tribxdation  and  poverty  P  He  tells  them  to  fear 
none  of  the  things  which  they  should  suffer ;  for  even  the  devil, 
by  the  means  of  wicked  men,  should  cast  some  of  them  into  pri- 
son, that  they  might  be  tried ;  but  that  they  must  be  faithful  until 
death,  when,  or  immediately  after,  they  should  have  a  crown  of 
life.  Again,  Rev.  vii.  14,  St.  John  speaks  of  what  an  angel  said 
to  him,  relative  to  the  souls  of  the  righteous  in  eternity ;  and 
states  that  they  had  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  had  washed 
their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  but 
in  heaven  there  should  be  an  end  of  their  sorrows.  It  is  said  of 
God,  that  he  scourgeth  every  son  whom  'he  receiveth.  But  as 
it  respects  the  wicked,  they  are  spoken  of  as  being  wiser  and 
more  happy  in  their  temporal  condition,  than  the  righteous  in* 
this  life ;  see  Luke,  xvi.  8,  «  for  the  children  of  this  world,  (do 
you  think  he  here  meant  the  people  of  the  Jeivs  only,  by  the  word 
world,)  are,  in  their  generation,  wiser  than  the  children  of  light;" 
that  is,  are  more  cunning,  more  wise  and  crafty,  not  having  the 
unsophisticated  manners  and  spirit  of  the  children  of  light,  or  of 
true  religion,  till  converted.  By  these  Scriptures,  it  is  ascer- 
tained that  the  righteous  are  much  worse  off  in  this  life  than 
the  wicked  ;  .except  in  the  item  of  conscience  j  el  after  all,  even 
this  exception  amounts  to  a  mere  nothing,  tricked  are  to 

have  as  bright  a  heaven,  as  if  they  had  been  good  all  their  life 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  191 

time ;  and  a  little  brighter,  on  account  of  their  having  suffered 
so  awfully  in  their  poor  consciences,  for  their  wickedness  in 
this  icorld ;  not  only  in  the  Judea  world,  but  in  this  great  world 
which  goes  every  year  around  the  sun. 

But  we  have  strong  doubts,  whether  such  persons  as  do  indeed 
and  in  fact,  most  unboundedly  and  confidingly,  believe  (which, 
however,  we  think  hardly  credible,)  Universalist  sentiments,  in 
respect  to  punishment  for  sin,  not  of  sin,  but  for  sin  in  another 
life,  know  anything  about  a  good  or  a  bad  conscience  toward  God ; 
as  indeed  we  see  no  need  of  any,  as  it  can  answer  no  possible 
purpose ;  because  such  persons  know,  or  think  they  know,  that 
however  wicked  they  may  be,  this  can  make  no  difference  in 
their  relation  to  God,  or  retard  a  happy  state  after  death,  as  God 
loves  the  bad  equally  with  the  good.  Were  the  writer  of  this 
work  a  Universalist,  we  do  not  see  why  we  should  not  make 
haste  to  become  so  wicked  as  to  destroy  all  the  susceptibility  of 
conscience  out  of  our  bosom,  as  in  this  way  we  should  escape, 
what  Universal ists  call  the  hell  of  conscience,  in  this  life.  But 
can  this  be  done  ?  we  answer,  upon  the  authority  of  Scripture, 
the  inspiration  of  which  is  certainly  to  be  relied  on,  that  it  has 
and  can  be  done  ;  see  1st  Timothy,  iv.  2,  "  Now  the  spirit  speak- 
eth  expressly,  that  in  the  latter  times,  some  shall  depart  from  the 
faith,  giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits  and  doctrines  of  devils, 
speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy,  having  their  conscience  seared  with 
a  hot  iron."  That  such  a  thing  is  possible,  we  further  prove, 
from  Ephesians,  iv.  18,  19:  "Having  their  understanding  dark- 
ened, being  alienated  from  the  life  of  God  through  the  ignorance 
that  is  in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  of  their  hearts :  who 
being  past  feeling,  have  given  themselves  over  to  lascivious- 
ness,  to  work  all  uncleanness  with  greediness."  By  these  two 
witnesses,  we  prove  the  doctrine,  which  cannot  be  contradicted 
from  the  Scriptures :  that  a  man  may  so  harden  his  heart,  and 
abuse  this  most  delicate  of  all  the  powers  of  the  soul,  the  con- 
science, as  to  kill  or  destroy  its  feeling,  and  reduce  the  mind  to 
a  seared  and  insensible  condition,  as  to  moral  susceptibility  and 
life.  Now,  if  it  is  possible,  why  is  it  not  best,  as  thereby  all  the 
hell  there  is  in  being,  according  to  Universalists,  will  be  effectu- 
ally avoided.  For  the  sake  of  a  good  conscience,  millions  have 
suffered  all  manner  of  tortures,  rather  than  violate  this  power  of  the 
soul ;  and  have  done  themselves  no  good  after  all,  as  heaven  and 
a  happy  state  after  death,  was  made  none  the  surer  on  that 
account ;  and  even  those  who  tortured  them,  went  thither  as  swift- 
ly and  as  surely,  as  soon  as  dead.  With  this  view,  would  it  not 
be  better  that  men  should  remain  in  their  natural  condition, 
which  is  that  of  moral  death,  than  to  be  made  to  feel  sorrow  and 
pain  for  sin  ;  as  it  can  do  no  possible  good,  in  relation  to  another 
world,  and  is  sure  to  secure  affliction  in  this.  Wherefore,  the 
harder  and  more  unfeeling  a  man's  conscience  is,  toward  either 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

God  or  man,  the  better  it  is  for  him ;  as  by  that  means  he  abso- 
lutely escapes  all  the  hell  there  is,  except  barely  the  process  of 
hardening  a  little  while  at  first.  With  this  view,  we  do  not 
wonder  that  Universalists  ridicule,  what  is  called  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  by  the  orthodox  sects,  conviction  for  sin,  conversion 
to  God,  pardon,  regeneration,  and  the  new  birth,  by  the  spirit 
from  above  ;  disclaiming  loudly  and  boldly,  even  from  the  desk, 
all  mysterious  operations  of  the  kind,  on  the  heart  of  man ; 
imagining  a  mere  change  of  conduct  and  belief  sufficient,  with- 
out inquiring  into  the  cause  of  that  change,  caring  nothing  about 
the  moral  condition  of  the  heart  or  mind,  if  so  be  the  conduct  is 
but  relatively  fair.  No  wonder  these  men  tell  us  there  is  no  hell  in 
another  world,  as  indeed  there  cannot  be,  for  man,  at  any  rate, 
if  such  is  the  condition  of  the  heart ;  and  no  more  is  required 
than  that  he  should  be  outwardly  circumspect  in  relation  to  hu- 
man society.  This  is  precisely  the  ground  all  Deists  take,  and  is 
called  natural  religion  ;  which  denies  the  fall,  reprobates  a  sacri- 
ficial atonement,  pours  contempt  on  a  change  of  heart,  and  any 
hopes  of  a  future  happy  condition,  on  any  such  ground  as  being 
founded  in  Jesus  Christ,  but  nature  only.  We  repeat  it,  they 
hold  that  heaven  is  the  unalienable  right  or  inheritance  of  all 
the  human  race,  by  virtue  of  the  immutability  of  the  Creator ; 
and  it  is  impossible  by  anything  that  man  can  do,  to  put  this 
certainty  in  jeopardy;  and  has,  therefore,  never  been  lost  to 
them;  on  which  account,  a  sacrificial  atonement,  the  just  for 
the  unjust,  for  its  recovery,  has  never  been  needed,  or  taken 
place ;  and  yet  claim  to  have  Jesus  Christ  as  their  teacher  and 
foundation. 

But  even  one's  belief,  or  faith,  is  not  by  Universalists  consid- 
ered important  to  salvation — if  so  be  the  moral  conduct  is  not 
greatly  reprehensible.  We  come  to  this  conclusion,  from  the  fact 
that  this  people  will  not  even  allow  that  sin,  be  it  ever  so  heinous 
or  horrible,  even  self-murder,  staining  the  soul  on  its  entrance 
into  eternity,  and  the  presence  of  God,  can  possibly  bar  it  from 
admission  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and  eternal  felicity. 
We  prove  this  from  some  remarks  made  by  a  Mr.  Lefevre,  a 
very  popular  man  among  Universalists,  (See  a  paper  published 
by  that  people,  entitled —  Universalist  Union,  for  July  2,  1836, 
vol.  1st,  No.  34,  page  270 — where  the  remarks  alluded  to  are 
printed,)  in  which  such  a  case  is  argued,  and  decided  that  though 
a  man  might  go  into  eternity,  having  his  soul  stained  with  the 
sin  of  the  murder  of  his  neighbor,  and  then  of  himself  by  the 
same  dagger,  that  in  the  general  resurrection,  that  man,  soul  and 
body,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  on  the  same  foot- 
ing that  the  triumphant  St.  Paul  will,  or  any  other  person,  who 
departs  this  life  as  a  Christian. 

This,  their  opinion,  is  bottomed  on  the  words  of  St.  Paul — 1st 
Cor.  xv.  52,  and  on  Phil.  iii.  21 — where  it  is  written  of  the  saints 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  193 

only,  that  in  the  resurrection,  they  shall  be  changed,  and  their 
vile  bodies  fashioned  after  the  likeness  of  Christ's  glorious  body. 
But  Universalists  claim  this  glorious  change  for  all  mankind, 
however  bad,  merely  because  St.  Paul  has  used  the  words  we  and 
our.  This  reminds  us  of  the  fable,  in  which  an  apple  and  a 
nameless  article  were  afloat  together  in  a  stream,  when  the  name- 
less article  said  to  the  apple,  how  toe  apples  do  swim.  This  doc- 
trine of  the  salvation  of  such  as  die  in  their  sins,  is  certainly  op- 
posed to  the  express  word  of  Jesus  Christ,  on  this  very  subject :  (St. 
John,  viii.  21,  24,)  "  Then  said  Je^us  again  unto  them,  (the  Jews) 
I  go  my  way  and  ye  shall  seek  me,  and  die  in  your  sins :  whith- 
er I  go  ye  cannot  come  :  I  said  therefore  unto  you,  that  ye  shall 
die  in  your  sins ;  for  if  ye  believe  not  that  I  am  he  ye  shall  die  in 
your  sins."  Now  that  the  Saviour  has  here  stated  a  case  in 
which  a  person  dying  a  sinner,  could  not,  and  shall  not  go  where 
Christ  is ;  inasmuch  as  he  says — "  whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come." 
That  the  Saviour  was  speaking  of  his  own  death,  then  soon  to 
take  place,  is  shown  from  their  own  words — as  seen  in  the  22d 
verse  of  the  same  chapter — as  follows  :  "  Then  said  the  Jews, 
Will  he  kill  himself?  because  he  saith,  Whither  I  go  ye  cannot 
come."  That  this  was  a  right  view  of  his  meaning,  we  have 
only  to  look  at  the  28th  verse  of  the  same  chapter,  which  reads  : 
"  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  When  ye  have  lifted  up  the  Son 
of  man,  then  shall  ye  know  that  I  am  he  ;" — that  is,  the  Christ, 
the  thing  they  disbelieved,  and  for  which,  they  were  to  die  in 
their  sins,  if  they  continued  in  their  unbelief ;  and  after  which 
they  could  not  go  to  the  place  where  Christ  was — which  is  heav- 
en ;  for  when  he  ascended — it  is  said  in  the  book  of  Acts — that 
he  went  into  heaven. 

St.  John  the  Revelator,  (we  suppose  we  may  quote  this  book, 
notwithstanding  Universalists  have  their  doubts  of  its  authen- 
ticity— for  we  find  they  often  quote  it,  especially  if  they  fancy 
they  have  found  some  text  there  which  makes  against  an  antago- 
nist,) we  repeat  it,  St.  John  says,  Rev.  xiv.  13,  "Blessed  are  the 
dead  that  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  :  yea  saith  the  spirit, 
that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors :  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  But  is  it  anywhere  written,  blessed  are  the  dead  who 
die  in  their  sins  ?  No  it  is  not ;  while  it  is  written  as  above 
noticed,  that  a  man  dying  in  his  sins,  as  in  the  case  of  self-mur- 
der, by  a  shot  through  the  heart,  cannot  go  to  heaven,  or  t©  the 
place  where  Christ  has  gone.  If  such  persons  go  to  heaven,  it 
must  of  necessity  be  a  heaven  where  there  is  no  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ;  on  which  account  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  will  be 
very  much  like  hell,  If  such  as  die  in  the  Lord  are  to  have  their 
good  works  follow  them,  as  a  justification  and  evidence  of  their 
righteousness,  before  all  heaven's  hosts,  is  it  not  to  be  infered, 
that  such  as  die  in  their  sins  shall  also  have  their  works  of  wick- 
edness follow  them,  as  evidence  of  their  evil  characters,  before 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

all  heaven's  hosts,  to  be  required  at  their  hands  ?  for  it  is  said  by 
Christ  himself,  Math.  xii.  36,  37,  "  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  every 
idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof 
in  the  day  of  Judgment.  For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justi- 
fied, and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned,"  or  damned, 
which  is  the  true  meaning. 

In  the  same  paper  to  which  we  have  alluded  above,  under  the 
head  of  "4  Question  considered" — by  Mr.  Williamson,  pastor 
of  a  Universalist  church,  in  Albany,  N.'Y. — it  is  contended  that 
all  men  are  sinners,  all  their  life  long,  even  till  death  ;  and  that 
they  ciio  in  this  condition, — as  he  says :  "  We  hear  much  of 
changes  in  this  life,  and  we  are  free  to  grant  that  men's  views 
and  feelings,  and  conduct  frequently  change  :  but  we  know  of  no 
change  on  earth,  which  renders  a  man  free  from  every  stain  of 
sin."  Now,  Mr.  Lefevre,  in  the  same  paper,  and  in  his  sermon, 
as  above  noticed — argues  that  the  least  sin  a  man  can  commit, 
and  which  he  may  commit,  a  moment  before  he  dies,  will  as  effec- 
tually shut  him  out  of  heaven,  according  to  the  orthodox,  as  one 
that  is  larger  ;  even  self-murder.  We  therefore  conclude,  if  this  is 
true,  that  all  men  will  die  as  deeply  stained  with  sin,  as  if  the  whole 
human  race  were  to  commit  suicide ;  an.d  yet  the  general  resurrec- 
tion is  to  bring  them  up,  changed  and  fitted  for  heaven.  That  all 
men  are  thus  to  die,  sinners,  saints,  and  all,  does  not  seem  to  com- 
port well  with  many  parts  of  the  Scriptures  ;  for  then  it  cannot  be 
said  of  the  righteous,  that  they  die  in  the  Lord  when  they  die, 
any  more  than  a  drunkard  who  dies  in  that  condition,  dies  in  the 
Lord  : — wherefore,  it  is  unwisely  said  by  the  Revelator,  «  Bless- 
ed are  the  dead  ivho  die  in  the  Lord :"  seeming  to  make  a  dis- 
tinction, when  the  truth  is  no  man  dies  in  the  Lord,  according  to 
the  above  writer,  who  no  doubt,  speaks  the  universal  sentiment 
of  the  Universalists  on  that  point ;  or  else  all,  both  good  and  bad, 
die  in  the  Lord  alike. 

Now  on  the  supposition,  that  the  general  resurrection  is  to 
bring  up  all  mankind  in  a  fit  condition  for  heaven,  we  clearly 
perceive  that  Universalists  do  not  believe  in  the  immortality  of 
the  human  soul ;  but  believe  that  it  dies  with  the  body,  or  at 
least,  sleeps  in  a  dormant  condition,  like  a  frog  in  a  morass,  in  a 
cold  climate,  till  it  shall  be  aroused  by  the  sound  of  the  last 
trumpet. 

We  believe  that  such  an  idea  cannot  be  supported  by  Scripture, 
or  reason  :  as  in  the  first  place,  the  soul  of  the  thief  on  the  cross, 
which  was  to  be,  on  that  same  day  in  which  his  body  was  cruci- 
fied, was  to  be  in  Paradise  with  Jesus  Christ ;  which  certainly 
contradicts  the  idea  of  the  sleep  of  the  soul  after  death.  It  also 
contradicts  the  existence  of  Enoch  and  Elijah,  as  being  in  a 
quick  or  active  condition,  as  shown  in  the  Scriptures  ;  of  whom 
it  is  said  that  they  did  not  die  as  other  men  do,  but  were  transla- 
ted, and  did  not  see  death.     It  contradicts  the  hope  of  St.  Paul ; 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  195 

who  when  speaking  of  his  death — which  was  then  soon  to  take 
place — says :  (Phil.  i.  23,)  "  I  am  in  a  strait,  betwixt  two,  hav- 
ing a  desire  to  depart  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better, 
and  to  remain  in  the  flesh  for  the  sake  of  the  church." 

Now  if  the  soul  of  St.  Paul  was  to  sleep  on  from  the  time  of 
Ills  death  till  the  time  of  the  general  resurrection,  or  day  of  judg- 
ment, how  could  he  anticipate  being  present  with  Christ,  as  soon 
as  he  should  have  passed  the  fatal  Rubicon  ?  which  his  state- 
ment certainly  supposes.  Does  not  some  thousands  of  years 
make  any  difference  in  the  idea  of  being  with  Christ,  as  soon  as 
death  should  permit  it  ?  The  ideas  are  put  opposite  to  each 
other  :  that  of  remaining  there  with  the  church,  or  then  leaving 
it,  to  be  with  Christ  immediately, — without  the  intervention  of 
thousands  of  years.  It  contradicts  all  the  hopes  of  all  Christians 
since  the  world  began  : — for  if  this  doctrine  of  the  sleep  of  the 
soul,  from  death  till  the  resurrection  is  true,  then  from  the  time 
of  the  death  of  righteous  Abel,  with  that  of  all  the  holy  prophets, 
oven  including  the  soul  of  Moses,  and  all  the  the  martyrs  of  the 
age — are  asleep  now  in  the  dust  of  earth.  What  a  blow  is  this 
to  strike  on  the  face  of  the  ardent  hopes  of  the  good  ;  who  as  soon 
as  this  life  shall  be  passed,  expect  to  enter  into  an  active  state  of 
being  and  happiness. 

Second,  it  contradicts  reason  on  this  subject ;  for  if  God  is  the 
father  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh  that  is  human,  and  he  is  the  liv- 
ing God  ;  it  follows  of  necessity  that  such  spirits  partake  of  the 
father's  nature,  in  respect  to  perpetual  being  and  activity  of  the 
living  principle.  Of  this  principle — the  non-immortality  of 
the  human  soul — Universalists  are  rather  shy  ;  keeping  it  in  an 
ambiguous  condition,  not  exactly  avowing  it,  or  denying  it ; 
seeming  to  wait  till  their  sentiments  shall  gain  a  stronger  footing 
in  the  land  than  at  present,  when  that  or  any  other  unscriptural 
vagary  may  be  taught  to  the  people,  as  the  morality  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

That  in  the  resurrection,  the  whole  human  race,  both  good 
and  bad,  are  to  be  punished,  and  then  and  there  made  meet  for 
heaven,  is  the  reason  why  Universalists  cannot  see  the  necessity 
of  a  man's  having  his  soul  converted  to  God  in  this  life,  by  the 
renewing  of  his  mind,  by  the  operation  of  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost :  no  necessity  of  being  born  again  from  above,  as  Christ 
taught  Nicodemus,  the  disciples,  and  the  Jews,  and  that  without 
this  they  could  not  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  no  necessity 
of  all  this — say  Universalists — because  the  resurrection  will  do 
it  after  death. 

But  why  this  people  assume  so  much  to  be  done  for  the  soul, 
in  the  resurrection,  is  unaccountable ;  when  they  all  know  that 
the  full  extent  of  the  operation  of  that  event,  reaches  no  further 
than  to  the  mere  bodies  of  men,  and  that  of  the  saints  only  ; 
whose  bodies  are  to  be  changed  from  a  state  of  corruption,  to  a 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

state  of  purity  and  incorruptibility,  like  Christ's  glorious  body ; 
while  there  is  not  a  word  spoken  about  the  soul,  mind,  or  spirit, 
in  all  the  account  of  the  operation  of  the  resurrection : — not  one 
word  ;  it  is  all  about  the  body.  Of  the  wicked,  it  is  not  said  in 
any  part  of  the  Bible,  that  their  vile  bodies  are  to  be  gloriously 
changed  like  those  of  the  saints  ;  but  to  the  contrary  :  for  Daniel 
says  expressly,  that  some — meaning  the  wicked — shall  rise  from 
the  dust  of  the  earth,  with  shame,  and  eternal  contempt ;  for  the 
word  eternal  is  used  in  the  original.  The  same  thing  is  made 
out  by  St.  John,  the  Revelator,  chap,  xx.,  where  we  are  informed 
that  two  resurrections  are  to  take  place  ;  the  first  is  to  consist  of 
all  the  righteous,  in  all  ages, — and  the  second  of  all  the  wicked  : 
there  being  a  thousand  years  put  between  the  two.  St.  Paul  has 
said  the  same  thing,  in  amount,  long  before  the  book  of  Revela- 
tions was  written  ;  to  which  St.  John  here  subscribes :  (see  1st 
Thess.  xvi.)  "  For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven, 
with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump 
of  God — and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first."  It  is  true  St. 
Paul  does  not  state  how  long  first ;  but  St.  John  does,  and  says  it 
will  be  a  thousand  literal  years.  Now  with  this  view,  it  is  clear, 
that  all  the  immunities  of  the  first  resurrection,  in  relation  to  the 
changing  of  the  bodies  of  the  saints,  is  spoken  of  them,  and  them 
only,  and  that  merely  of  their  bodies,  while  there  is  no  promise 
of  such  a  resurrection,  to  such  as  die  in  their  sins. 

If  the  spiritual  conversion  of  the  soul  of  man  to  God,  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  is  not  necessary  in  order  to  prepare  men  for  heaven, 
in  this  life  ;  relying  solely  on  the  resurrection  for  all  that  may  be 
necessary  to  be  done  ;  then  we  clearly  see  why  Universal ists  de- 
nounce what  is  commonly  believed  by  the  orthodox  churches, 
about  being  born  again  ;  even  making  ridicule  of  it,  as  being  the 
whim  of  fanatics.  Universalists  contend  that  it  is  no  matter  how 
a  man  dies — see  the  same  paper,  the  Univcrsalist  Union,  before 
alluded  to — where  Mr.  Williamson  states  that  the  frame  of  mind 
in  which  a  man  may  happen  to  die,  is  of  no  more  importance  to 
his  future  happiness,  than  is  the  disease  of  which  he  may  happen 
to  die. 

If  this  is  truly  so,  then  it  follows  that  the  triumphant  deaths 
of  all  the  holy  martyrs  of  every  age — including  all  the  apostles, 
with  St.  Paul,  who  said  he  had  fought  the  good  fight,  and  finish- 
ed his  course ;  when  he  had  death  in  his  view,  and  but  a  few 
days  before  him,  triumphed,  because,  thenceforward,  there  was 
a  crown  laid  up  for  him,  which  he  said  he  was  to  receive — is  to 
be  put  on  a  level  with  the  curses,  blasphemies,  and  howlings  of 
several  famous  infidels,  whom  we  can  easily  name,  in  their  last 
sickness,  and  at  their  deaths.  Why  this  difference  if  the  state 
of  one's  mind  indicates  nothing  in  relation  to  the  future,  at  the 
solemn  hour  of  death  ? 

Universalists  teach  that  Christ  died  as  a^mere  martyr,  for  his 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  197 

opinions,  but  not  as  a  vicarious  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  as  the  Scriptures  state  he  did,  in  a  multitude  of  placecs; 
on  whose  account  alone  the  opportunity  of  salvation  was  made 
possible.  The  whole  drift  of  all  the  prophets,  wherever  Christ 
is  alluded  to  by  them,  is  that  he  was  to  die  for  the  people,  and 
not  on  his  own  account,  as  a  martyr.  To  this  effect,  see  Daniel 
ix.  26.  "  And  after  three  score  and  two  weeks  (434  years)  shall 
Messiah  be  cut  off,  (now  mind  what  is  said)  but  not  for  him- 
self." It  would  seem  that  the  spirit  of  inspiration,  in  this  very 
expression,  "but  not  for  himself"  intends  it  as  a  refutation  of 
this  very  Universalist  notion,  that  of  Christ  dying  as  a  martyr,  on 
his  own  account,  and  of  course  accidentally.  He  contradicts  it 
himself;  for  he  says  that  he  had  power  to  lay  down  his  own  life, 
and  to  take  it  up  again.  He  also  says,  that  no  man  taketh  my 
life  from  me,  except  by  his  permission.  But  if  he  died  as  a  mar- 
tyr, then  his  persecutors  took  his  life,  to  all  intents  and  purposes, 
which  he  ought  to  have  prevented,  if  possible — as  all  martyrs 
would  have  done  if  they  could. 

But  to  this  point,  Christ,  after  his  resurrection,  while  teaching 
the  two  disciples,  as  they  were  on  their  way  to  Emaus,  a  small 
town  near  Jerusalem,  told  them  plainly  that  Christ  ought  to  suf- 
fer. Now  what  does  he  mean  by  this,  except  it  be  understood 
that  he  suffered  a  vicarious  death,  the  innocent  for  the  guilty, 
and  not  for  himself,  as  a  martyr  ? 

The  whole  force  of  the  New  Testament  is  to  this  effect ;  so 
much  so,  that  his  blood  is  there,  often  called  most  precious; 
and  as  meritorious,  availing  for  the  guilty  with  God,  and  that 
men  are  to  pray  in  his  name,  making  mention  of  his  death  and 
sufferings,  as  the  cause  of  gifts  and  mercies  from  God  to  man. 
Universalists,  it  is  true,  allow  that  Christ  is  a  mediator  between 
God  and  man,  but  in  no  other  sense  than  any  moral  teacher  is  a 
mediator  between  him  and  us — inasmuch  as  he  was  simply  a 
medium  of  information — a  news-bearer,  and  taught  a  good  sys- 
tem of  morality.  Deists  say  the  same  thing  of  Christ,  who  extol 
him  equally  with  Universalists  in  this  respect.  As  it  respects  a 
vicarious  sacrifice  being  required  of  God,  on  which  account  he 
might  justly  extend  mercies  to  rebels,  Universalists  can  have  no 
conceptions  and  believe  such  an  opinion  highly  ridiculous,  and 
derogatory  to  the  character  of  God. 

Yet  the  Scriptures  say  that  he  was  delivered  for  our  offences, 
and  by  his  stripes  we  are  healed;  and  that  he  was  stricken  of 
God,  spit  upon  and  crucified  on  man's  account,  and  not  his  own. 

One  writer  in  the  paper  to  which  we  have  before  alluded,  who 
signs  himself  L.  D.  W.,  says  :  "  The  idea  of  a  vicarious  atone- 
ment strikes  us  as  highly  derogatory  to  the  character  of  God, 
and  injurious  to  the  moral  health  of  man.  It  supposes  God  to 
have  prepared  some  tremendous  infliction  of  punishment,  and 
that  his  arm  has  only  been  arrested  by  the  interposition  of  his 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

son,  whose  blood  has  flowed  from  that  blow  which  was  the  just 
award  of  the  guilty.  We  confess  (he  says)  our  inability  to  dis- 
cover the  beauty  and  propriety  of  this  system." 

As  speaks  this  man,  so  say  all  Universalists,  and  so  say  all 
Deists.  There  is  no  difference  between  them  on  this  subject. 
Universalists  are  therefore  Deists,  in  the  most  essential  sense  of 
the  word,  and  yet  would  pass  for  a  Christian  sect.  What  du- 
plicity !  what  deception !  It  is  unequalled  in  the  arts  of  theologi- 
cal knavery. 

If  it  is  true  that  Christ  died  as  a  martyr,  simply,  and  not  as  a 
sacrifice,  and  had  power  to  have  saved  his  life,  he  ought  to  have 
dene  it — or  it  will  be  a  hard  thing  to  clear  him  from  the  guilt  of 
suicide.  To  avoid  this,  however,  Universalists  say  that  he  died 
a  voluntary  martyr — a  mode  of  expression  wholly  without 
meaning,  as  it  is  impossible  to  have  any  conceptions  of  such  a 
thing  as  a  voluntary  death,  which  may  be  avoided,  and  claim  the 
honor  of  true  martyrdom.  Christ  said  to  his  disciples,  when 
they  persecute  you  in  this  city,  flee  ye  into  another  ;  by  which 
we  understand  him  to  advise  or  even  command  them  to  live  in 
the  world  as  long  as  possible.  But  this  he  did  not  do  himself, 
when  persecuted,  as  he  might  have  done,  but  gave  himself  into 
their  power  on  purpose  to  be  put  to  death  for  transgressors.  But 
if  he  did  not  die  as  a  sacrifice,  nor  as  a  martyr,  in  the  common 
acceptation  of  the  word,  then  he  is  tacitly  guilty  of  suicide,  on 
the  Universalist  view  of  the  subject. 

To  say  that  he  died  so  as  to  procure  the  opportunity  of  rising 
from  the  dead,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  this  doctrine  or  belief 
into  view,  namely,  of  the  resurrection  of  the  human  race  from 
the  dead — and  for  this  alone — it  would  seem  that  he  died  to  pro- 
duce a  belief  already  in  both  the  Jewish  and  Christian  churches. 
Martha  understood  this  doctrine ;  for  she  said  to  the  Saviour 
after  the  death  of  her  brother  Lazarus,  1  know  he  will  rise  again 
in  the  resurrection  at  the  last  day.  But  as  the  orthodox  sects 
view  this  subject,  they  say  he  rose  from  the  dead,  in  order  to 
justify  such  as  should  believe  in  the  7ncrit  of  his  vicarious  death  ; 
and  for  another  reason,  namely,  because  it  was  impossible  for 
him  to  see  corruption,  or  to  be  holden  by  the  power  of  death,  on 
account  of  his  being  immaculate  in  character,  and  as  having  no 
sin,  or  a  sinful  nature,  as  have  the  individuals  of  the  whole 
human  race  besides  ;  death  therefore,  had  no  just  claim  upon 
him,  as  death  got  his  power  over  mortals  on  account  of  sin,  and 
sin  alone. 

Christ  did  not  die  as  a  martyr,  either  voluntarily  or  by  perse- 
cution, but  as  a  self  devoted  victim,  for  the  offences  of  the  world, 
and  to  procure  of  the  satisfied  justice  of  God  the  opportunity  of 
salvation  to  all  such  shall  have  been,  or  as  may  be,  converted  or 
born  again,  in  all  the  world,  in  every  nation — whether  they  may 
have  heard  of  Christ  or  not — according  as  their  situation  may  be 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


199 


— and  their  compliance  with  the  inward  motions  of  the  eternal 
spirit,  who  on  the  account  of  the  merit  of  Christ's  death,  strives 
with  every  soul  of  the  human  race,  moving  them  to  do  the  things 
which  are  morally  right,  notwithstanding  their  education,  what- 
ever it  may  be.  This  is  the  importance  orthodox  Christians 
attach  to  the  death  of  Jesus ;  while  Universalists  attach  no 
importance  at  all,  over  that  of  mere  constancy  to  himself  and  his 
opinions,  a  virtue  any  man  may  acquire. 

Universalists  tell  us  that  they  have  no  conceptions  of  the  pro- 
priety of  the  innocent  suffering  for  the  guilty ;  and  of  Divine 
justice  being  thus  satisfied,  in  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  instead 
of  the  world.  That  this  is  the  fact,  the  whole  Bible,  wherever 
this  point  is  noticed,  proves,  however  it  may  be  above  mortal 
conception  ;  and  no  doubt  is  to  be  classed  among  the  sullimest 
and  deepest  mysteries  of  revealed  religion  ;  a  trait  of  character 
which  cannot  but  be  expected,  when  its  origin  and  author  are 
so  superior  to  our  grade  of  being,  fallen  as  we  are. 

But  if  one  man,  touched  with  sympathy  for  the  distress  of 
another,  may  be  permitted  to  plunge  even  into  danger  and  death 
for  his  relief,  and  no  principle  of  virtue  or  justice  be  infringed 
on  that  account,  how  is  it  that  God  is  to  be  prohibited  from  an 
act  of  the  kind,  when  millions  on  millions  are  concerned,  on  the 
charge  of  injustice  ?  if  he  does,  how  is  it  that  God  must  not  be 
allowed  to  be  as  generous  with  his  delinquent  creatures,  as  man 
may  be  with  his  fellows  ?  Such  a  procedure  as  finds  fault  with 
the  sacrifice  of  the  innocent  for  the  guilty,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
death  of  Christ  for  the  world,  would  banish  every  trait  of  virtu- 
ous generosity  and  piety,  not  only  from  the  earth,  but  from 
heaven  also. 

But  when  such  a  benefactor  is  found,  and  the  rescued  one,  so 
soon  as  he  shall  see  him,  begins  to  pour  contempt  upon  him,  and 
to  impugn  his  reasons  for  interference,  then  it  is  that  justice 
resumes  his  power,  and  the  rescued  one  is  overwhelmed  with  a 
tenfold  wo,  proportioned  precisely  to  the  happiness  which  was 
intended  him  in  his  rescue ;  because  ingratitude  is  found  to  bud 
and  bring  forth  its  bitter  fruit,  where  goodness,  meekness,  submis- 
sion and  repentance,  with  reformation,  should  have  been  produced. 

Such  are  Universalist  sentiments  in  relation  to  the  rescue  of 
the  world  from  the  consequences  of  our  first  parents'  sin  ;  which 
has  procured  for  us  animal  life,  moral  life,  and  the  opportunity  of 
eternal  life,  in  their  neutralizing  power,  respecting  the  full  amount 
of  what  Christ,  in  his  life,  his  teaching,  his  death,  and  his  resur- 
rection, has  procured  and  done  for  man  ;  because  they  impugn 
even  the  divine  procedure,  in  allowing  the  innocent  to  suffer  ibr 
the  guilty,  as  laid  down  in  the  New  Testament,  thus  shutting  the 
door  against  even  the  philanthropy  and  generous  benevolence  of 
heaven  itself  in  favor  of  poor  mortals,  not  allowing  that  a  ransom 
is  even  possible  ;  contending  that  each  soul  of  man  has  no  need 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  this  rescue,  being  just  as  he  ought  to  be,  placed  physically 
and  morally  on  the  earth  as  we  find  we  are. 

But  as  it  respects  the  existence  of  a  hell  beyond  this  life,  Mr. 
Ballou,  a  standard  writer  of  the  Universal  ist  order,  asserts,  and 
challenges  all  men  to  show  the  contrary,  that  the  Scriptures 
speak  of  no  other  hell  than  the  grave  and  a  disturbed  con- 
science. This  is  pretty  bold,  when  compared  with  that  which 
is  said  on  the  subject  by  the  Saviour,  who  certainly  knew  better 
than  Ballou,  and  says  that  there  is  such  a  place,  as  he  was  its 
creator,  if  it  exists  at  all ;  as  he  created  all  things,  except  moral 
evil. 

Universalists  hold  that  Jesus  Christ,  however  great,  good,  or 
miraculous  his  character  and  doings,  were  on  earth,  that  never- 
theless, he  was  but  a  created,  dependant  creature,  the  same  as 
any  other  man,  and  that  all  his  power  to  do  miracles,  was  derived. 
This  they  believe,  or  try  to  believe,  if  we  may  believe  them, 
notwithstanding  their  acquaintance  with  St.  Paul's  opinion  of 
him,  to  the  contrary ;  which  was,  that  he  is  the  Creator,  and 
upholds  all  things  by  the  word  of  his  power.  See  Heb.  i.  3, 
"  Who  being  the  brightness  of  his  (the  Father's)  glory,  and  the 
express  image  of  his  person,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the 
word  of  his  power :  when  he  had  by  himself,  purged  our  sins, 
sit  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high."  In  verse 
eight  of  the  same  chapter,  even  God  himself  calls  his  son  God, 
"  But  unto  the  Son  he  saith,  thy  throne,  O  God,  is  forever  and 
evti,"  or  eternal.  Isaiah,  in  speaking  of  him,  calls  him  the 
Mighty  God.  St.  John  says  that  he  is  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
beginning  and  the  end.  He  says  of  himself,  that  he  had  all 
power  in  heaven  and  earth.  What  more  is  necessary  to  consti- 
tute him  the  very  God  of  nature,  connected  with  man — or  as  it 
is  said,  God  manifested  in  the  flesh ;  yet  Universalists  call  him 
a  created  being,  and  dependent  like  other  men,  simply  because 
the  human  soul  which  he  took,  in  his  manifestation,  confesses 
its  inferiority  to  God,  and  often  prayed  to  him.  St.  Paul,  who 
certainly  understood  this  subject,  seems  to  have  anticipated  the 
very  objections  of  Universalists  to  the  Deity  of  Christ,  and  to  the 
mysteries  in  the  Christian  religion  :  see  1st  Tim.  iii.  16,  "  With- 
out controversy,  great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness :  God  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh."  Now  to  show  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the 
being  to  whom  St.  Paul  certainly  refers  in  the  above  quotation — 
who  he  calls  God  in  the  flesh — we  have  only  to  follow  him 
through  the  verse,  and  see  in  the  end  of  it,  this  manifestation 
was  received  up  into  glory,  or  heaven,  meaning  the  ascension  of 
our  Lord  to  heaven  after  his  resurrection.  They  even  go  so  far 
with  their  neutralising  and  levelling  system  of  theology,  as  to 
deny  that  Christ  was  miraculously  brought  into  the  world,  and 
that  his  natural  human  body  was  begotten  by  an  invisible  power, 
the  Holy  Ghost.     They  say  he  had  a  natural  father,  the  same 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  201 

as  any  other  man ;  but  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John,  say  he 
had  not,  but  that  he  was  begotten  by  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  womb 
of  his  virgin  mother. 

No  doctrine  in  the  whole  New  Testament  is  more  pointedly 
and  fully  insisted  upon,  than  this  one,  the  miraculous  conception 
and  birth  of  the  Saviour,  without  a  natural  father,  or  intervention 
of  a  man.  Yet  Universalists  deny  this,  the  same  as  do  all  Deists 
in  all  the  world ;  how  is  it  therefore,  that  they  have  a  claim  to 
be  considered  a  Christian  sect  7  why  not  style  themselves  Deists, 
differing  merely  with  respect  to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and 
the  revelation  of  the  Scriptures,  but  in  all  things  else,  alike? 

But  what  is  the  consequence  of  this  belief  to  the  character  of 
Jesus  Christ  ?  This  is  the  consequenec ;  he  is  made  to  be  the  off- 
spring of  illegitimate  love  :  for  the  Scriptures,  as  written  by  the 
four  evangelists,  are  explicit  in  stating  that  Joseph,  who  became 
the  husband  of  Mary,  was  not  the  father  of  her  first  child,  Jesus 
Christ.  Now  if  he  was  not,  who  was  ?  This  is  unknown,  ex- 
cept we  receive  the  account  as  it  is  written,  that  God  was  his 
father,  and  that  he  was  begotten  by  the  power  of  the  Highest, 
without  tho  intervention  of  man.  If  Mary  was  found  in  a  con- 
dition which  dissatisfied  Joseph,  the  man  who  had  promised  to 
marry  her,  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  God  would  send  from  the 
invisible  world  an  angel,  namely,  Gabriel,  to  make  Joseph  be- 
lieve that  the  girl  was  a  virgin,  and  that  the  cause  of  his  dissatis- 
faction was  not  her  fault,  but  was  of  God  ?  Never.  But  this 
must  be  believed,  if  we  are  to  allow  that  Universalists  are  right 
in  this  thing :  namely,  that  Jesus  Christ  had  a  natural  father, 
the  same  as  other  human  beings. 

This  most  awful  sentiment  ruins  Christianity  at  its  very  foun- 
tain, sinking  its  author,  and  the  author's  only  earthly  parent,  his 
virgin  mother,  to  a  level  with  a  common  prostitute,  and  her  son 
the  fruit  of  that  prostitution.  There  is  no  way  to  avoid  this  hor- 
rible consequence,  the  very  thing  all  infidels  charge  upon  Chris- 
tianity, in  their  bitterest  moments  of  derision  against  revealed 
religion. 

To  show  that  she  was  previously  married,  and  that  Christ 
was  a  son  of  that  marriage,  is  impossible  ;  and  even  if  it  was 
possible,  yet  Christ  could  not  have  been  the  fruit  of  that  or  any 
other  marriage,  because  she  is  said  by  all  the  evangelists  to  have 
been  a  virgin  when  she  was  espoused  ;  that  is,  was  contracted 
or  promised  to  Joseph  :  and  that  she  was  found  in  that  condition 
after  that  espousal  was  made.  Now  except  the  thing  was  of 
God,  and  that  the  power  of  the  Highest  overshadowed  her,  and 
produced  the  infant  Saviour  in  that  miraculous  manner,  then  is 
Christianity  and  its  author  more  polluted  at  the  very  fountain, 
than  any  of  the  ancient  religions  of  mankind,  whose  gods  were 
the  result  of  the  speculating  brains  of  hypocritical  and  venial 
priests,  who  presented  them  as  being  half  animal  and  half  man  ; 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

adapted  precisely  to  the  baser  passions  of  fallen  human  nature, 
inasmuch  as  it  pretends  to  more  sanctity  and  more  purity — even 
to  immaculate  perfection.  This  is  the  reason  why  it  is  more 
base,  if  it  is  not  in  all  respects  literally  true,  as  stated  by  the  evan- 
gelists. 

Now  these  are  the  men  who  say  that  Christianity  is  corrupted 
by  the  orthodox  clergy.  Of  this  we  leave  mankind  to  be  the 
judges. 

See  Matth.  x.  28,  for  further  proof  that  there  is  a  hell,  not  to  be 
found  in  this  life  :  "  Fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are 
not  able  to  kill  the  soul,  but  rather  fear  him  who  is  able  to  des- 
troy both  soul  and  body  in  hell."  The  same  is  said  by  St.  Luke, 
xii.  4,  5,  "  I  say  unto  you  my  friends,  be  not  afraid  of  them  that 
kill  the  body,  and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they  can  do :  but 
I  will  forewarn  you  whom  to  fear :  fear  him,  who  after  he  hath 
killed,  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell ;  yea,  I  say  unto  you  fear 
him."  Now  here  Ballou,  Balfour,  and  all  Universalis ts,  with  all 
such  persons  who  as  do  not  believe  there  is  a  hell  in  another 
world,  are  found  at  variance  with  Christ  the  son  of  God,  on  that 
subject.  If  there  is  no  hell  in  another  world,  not  even  God  him- 
self has  power  to  cast  either  body  or  soul  into  it ;  a  place,  or  con- 
dition, which  does  not,  nor  ever  did,  or  ever  can  exist,  if  we  are 
to  believe  Universalists.  Consequently  that  warning  of  Christ, 
who  said  I  forewarn  you  whom  to  fear,  is  just  a  solemn  nothing. 

But  says  the  Universalist,  we  do  not  deny  but  there  is  a  hell, 
and  even  more  than  one  ;  as  there  is  the  grave,  which  is  one  ; 
and  there  is  a  guilty  conscience,  t/"any  body  is  wicked,  and  that  is 
two ;  and  there  is  the  ruin  of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans,  which  is 
three ;  and  all  these  in  this  life.  Oh,  how  extraordinary;  is  it 
so,  is  this  the  fact  1  if  so  let  us  try  the  above  Scripture  according 
to  such  a  meaning.  Fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are 
not  able  to  kill  the  soul,  but  rather  fear  him  who  is  able  to  des- 
troy both  soul  and  body  in  the  grave  ;  both  soul  and  body  in  a 
guilty  conscience,  both  soul  and  body  in  the  destruction  of  the 
Jews  by  the  Romans  ;  all  three  of  which  is  impossible,  as  it  res- 
pects the  soul,  as  the  soul  is  not  subject  to  death,  but  must  remain 
a  living  principle  as  long  as  God  endures,  as  we  have  already 
proved.  Now  if  there  is  a  hell  in  which  God  can  destroy  the 
soul,  and  that  hell  is  not  in  eternity,  or  in  another  world,  where 
then  is  it  ?     It  must  be  found  somewhere,  or  the  allusion  to  such 

nlace,  or  condition,  is  but  a  fiction,  a  mere  scarecrow ;  which 
idea  cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  Saviour  without  injury  to  his  char- 
acter ;  which,  however,  is  the  fair  result,  if  no  hell  in  this  life 
can  be  found,  in  which  God  can,  if  he  would,  kill  the  human 
sonl. 

B>  •  e  arises  another  difficulty  for  Universalists  to  clear  up, 
whir  .it  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  a  doctrine  they  deny, 

believing  it  dies  with  the  body,  and  shall  be  restored  again  with 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  203 

the  body  at  the  resurrection.  If  this  is  so,  we  ask  where  is  the 
fear  founded,  and  upon  what?  for  if  the  soul  dies,  and  becomes 
inert  with  the  body,  it  cannot  suffer ;  and  therefore  has  no  cause 
to  fear  even  God,  though  he  should  kill  the  body,  as  the  soul 
must  die  at  the  same  time.  But  the  whole  force  of  the  injunc- 
tion is  based  upon  the  fact,  that  the  soul  does  not  die  with  the 
body,  but  remains  a  conscious  being,  or  there  can  be  no  reason 
in  that  saying  of  Christ,  "  fear  him  who  after  he  hath  killed  the 
body,  hath  power  to  cast  the  soul  into  hell." 

This  Scripture  proves,  both  the  fact  of  the  ceaseless  life 
and  nature  of  the  soul  of  man,  and  the  existence  of  a  hell 
beyond  this  life  ;  doctrines  which  Universalists  deny.  Man  can 
kill  the  body,  but  the  soul  he  cannot  touch ;  yet  God  can  do 
this,  and  on  that  account  the  Saviour  admonished  his  disciples 
to  fear  that  Being.  Yet  there  was  no  cause  for  such  fear  rf 
there  is  no  hell  after  the  death  of  the  body  ;  and  if  the  soul  dies 
with  the  body  (a  thing  utterly  impossible,  as  it  is  a  "  living  souF 
or  principle,  which  is  not  said  of  the  body,  because  it  is  subject  to 
death)  there  could  be  no  cause  for  such  fear.  If  the  soul  dies  at 
the  time  of  the  death  of  the  body,  then  the  same  blow  which  kills 
the  body  also  kills  the  soul.  And  therefore,  were  this  true,  man 
can  hill  the  soul,  although  the  Scriptures,  as  above  quoted,  de- 
clare that  he  cannot : — and  more  than  this,  Scripture  does  not 
say  that  even  God  can  annihilate  the  soul, — though  there  is  no 
doubt  but  he  can  ;  but  that  he  can  destroy  it  in  hell ;  that  is,  can 
place  it  in  a  ceaseless  state  of  ruin,  and  a  ceaseless  state  of  suffer- 
ing. This  destruction  is  infinitely  worse  than  annihilation  itself; 
which,  could  it  be,  we  have  no  doubt  would  be  resorted  to,  rather 
than  to  unlimited  suffering  in  hell,  by  the  Divine  Being. 

That  the  Saviour  was  speaking  of  the  death  of  the  bodies  of 
his  disciples,  by  persecution  and  martyrdom  ;  and  not  of  the  ruin 
of  the  body  politic,  or  body  religions  of  the  Jews,  by  the  Ro- 
mans, or  any  other  cause,  is  evident  from  the  context  of  the  sub- 
ject, in  the  same  chapter,  in  which  the  above  text  is  found,  which 
we  have  produced  as  a  proof  of  a  hell  in  another  world — see  ver- 
ses 17,  18,  21,  22,  23,  28 — in  which  that  subject  is  pursued,  and 
finished  as  follows  :  "  But  beware  of  men,  for  they  will  deliver 
you  up  to  the  councils,  and  they  will  scourge  you  in  their  syna- 
gogues :  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before  governors,  and  kino-s  for 
my  sake,  for  a  testimony  against  them  and  the  Gentiles  :  And  the 
brother  shall  deliver  up  the  brother  to  death  ;  and  the  father  the 
child :  and  the  children  shall  rise  up  against  their  parents,  and 
cause  them  to  be  put  to  death :  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men 
for  my  name's  sake.  But  when  they  persecute  you  in  this  city, 
flee  ye  into  another/'  But  notwithstanding  all  this,  he  told  them 
not  to  be  intimidated  from  their  duty,  nor  to  fear  their  persecu- 
tors i  but  to  continue  to  fear  him  only  who  was  "  able  to  destroy 

13 


204  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

both  soul  and  body  in  hell"  Now  if  there  is  a  hell  in  another 
world,  then  is  there  force  in  that  warning ;  and  if  the  soul 
continues  its  consciousness,  though  the  body  dies,  then  is 
there  reason  to  fear,  least  the  soul  pass  into  eternity  unpre- 
pared ;  and  finally  be  cast  into  that  hell,  with  its  body,  at  the 
time  of  the  general  resurrection  and  day  of  judgment,  accor- 
ding to  the  Scriptures. 

Moses,  the  first  writer  of  the  Scriptures,  clearly  alludes  to 
a  state  of  punishment  after  death — see  Deuteronomy,  xviii. 
15,  19 — where  God  himself  is  the  speaker.  "The  Lord  thy 
God  will  raise  up  unto  thee  (the  Jews)  a  prophet  from  the 
midst  of  thee,  of  thy  brethren,  like  unto  me ;  unto  him  ye 
shall  hearken.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  whosoever  will 
not  hearken  unto  my  words  which  he  shall  speak  in  my  name, 
I  will  require  it  of  him."  Now  on  this  statement  of  the  Al- 
mighty, "  I  will  require  it  of  him,"  St.  Peter,  in  Acts,  iii.  23, 
says,  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  soul  which  will 
not  hear  that  prophet,  shall  be  destroyed  from  among  the 
people."  This  is  what  St.  Peter  seems  to  understand  by  the 
words,  "  I  will  require  it  of  him ;  and  carries  it  out  to  mean 
the  destruction  or  damnation  of  such  a  soul. 

Under  the  Christian  dispensation,  we  have  no  intimation 
that  if  a  person  refused  to  believe  in  Christ,  or  to  hearken  to 
his  words  and  practice  his  principles,  that  such  a  person  was 
put  to  death,  or  even  punished  in  any  manner  whatever ;  as 
the  Christian  church  had  no  such  power  given  it,  either  eccle- 
siastically or  politically.  How  then  was  the  thing  to  be  done  ? 
how  was  such  a  soul  to  be  destroyed  or  cut  off  from  among 
the  people  ?  There  is  but  one  way,  namely,  that  of  the  dam- 
nation of  such  a  soul  in  eternity,  in  accordance  with  what  we 
have  alieady  quoted,  and  here  repeat:  "Fear  God  who  is 
able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell,"  in  eternity,  as 
there  is  no  such  hell  in  this  life,  in  which  God  will  destroy 
such  a  soul. 

Now  as  the  teachings  of  Christianity  are  directed  to  indi- 
vidual men,  women  and  children,  of  a  proper  age,  we  cannot 
refer  the  cutting  off  such  as  will  not  hear  that  prophet,  to  the 
nation  of  the  Jews,  as  a  nation  exclusively,  and  that  this  was 
done  in  their  destruction  as  a  nation  by  the  Romans ;  we  say 
it  cannot  be  referred  to  them  alone  ;  because  the  statement  is 
broad,  extending  to  all  the  souls  of  the  human  race,  who  have 
it  in  their  power  to  hear  this  prophet.  Were  we  to  restrict 
the  fulfilment  of  this  denunciation  to  that  nation  only,  and  to 
no  other  persons  of  the  human  race,  then  we  should  falsify 
the  text,  which  says,  "  that  every  soul  which  will  not  hear 
that  prophet,  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  the  people  ;"  and  as 
we  consider,  means  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews,  and  all  people 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES,  205 

of  all  ages,  who  have  the  opportunity  of  hearkening  to  his  doc- 
trines. If  the  words  every  soul,  are  to  be  regarded,  then  it 
will  follow  that  the  injunction  is  wholly  of  an  individual  char- 
acter, and  not  exclusively  national. 

Now,  while  life  lasts,  no  man  is  cut  ofF  from  among  the 
people,  even  though  he  will  not  hearken  to  this  prophet ;  we 
are  compelled,  therefore,  in  order  to  sustain  the  veracity  of 
God,  to  carry  this  matter  into  another  world  after  death, 
where  such  souls  as  had  the  opportunity  of  hearkening  to 
that  prophet  and  would  not,  shall  be  cut  off  from  among  the 
people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  destroyed  in  hell ; 
in  which,  it  is  written,  that  God  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul 
and  body. 

But  before  we  leave  this  subject,  it  will  be  proper  to  exam- 
ine the  famous  text  upon  which  Universalists  ground  their 
doctrine  of  a  conscience  hell,  for  sins  committed  ;  by  which 
expiation  or  release  is  obtained,  and  the  sinner  made  righteous 
in  the  sight  of  God,  but  not  by  the  blood  and  merit  of  Jesus 
Christ.  These  people  believe  that  sin  brings  with  itself  its 
own  punishment,  its  own  whip,  or  correction ;  as  that  when 
one  sins,  he  immediately  is  distressed  in  his  mind  on  account 
of  it,  and  that  distress,  uneasiness,  ordisquitude,  is  the  very 
expiation  for  the  sin  itself;  by  which  we  perceive  that  sin  is 
its  own  Saviour,  and  works  its  own  cure  ;  and  this  is  what 
they  call  one  kind  of  hell.  If  this  were  so,  it  might  be  called 
a  most  glorious  hell;  and  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  discover, 
might  have  saved  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory,  the  trouble  of 
coming  into  the  world  to  die  for  sinners,  and  the  horrid  ago- 
nies of  the  cross  by  the  Romans.  No  man  who  can  think, 
will  ever  suppose  that  Christ  came  into  the  world,  honored 
the  law  of  God,  which  Adam,  with  all  his  posterity  have  dis- 
honored, and  then  by  his  own  voluntary  act  submit  to  a 
shameful  and  cruel  death;  and  all  for  no  other  purpose  than 
to  procure  for  sinners  the  opportunity  of  suffering  for  their 
sins  in  their  conscience  ;  a  thing  which  would  have  been  just 
as  sure,  on  the  principle  of  justice,  as  if  he  had  not  thus  came, 
and  thus  suffered  for  sin  and  sinners.  On  this  plan,  therefore, 
as  propagated  by  Universalists,  this  conscience  hell,  is  the 
only  and  true  Saviour  from  sin,  in  which  there  is  neither 
necessity  of  belief  or  disbelief,  knowledge  or  ignorance,  re- 
pentance or  pardon  ;  as  whoever  sins,  creates  in  and  with 
that  sin,  his  own  remedy.  This  is  the  nullification  of  all  law 
and  of  all  penally,  with  a  vengeance. 

But  the  famous  text,  by  which  Universalists  prove  that  the 
worst  hell  there  is  in  existence,  (and  had  king  David  for  its 
tenant,  at  a  certain  time  ;  out  of  which  he  escaped,  however. 


206  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

and  all  in  this  life,)  is  found  in  the  86th  Psalm,  13th  verse, 
as  follows  :  "  For  great  is  thy  mercy  toward  me  ;  and  thou 
hast  delivered  my  soul  from  the  lowest  hell."  Now,  say 
Universalists,  in  a  way  of  triumph,  is  there  any  worse  hell 
than  the  lowest  one.  Here  they  fix  themselves,  to  this 
point,  and  proceed  to  interpret  all  other  texts  of  Scripture, 
which  speak  of  a  hell,  by  this,  as  by  the  great,  and  only  con- 
text on  this  subject, — by  which  they  ascertain  it  to  be  a  far 
worse  hell  than  the  grave ;  and  yet,  strange  to  tell,  it  is  pre- 
ferred to  the  grave  by  them,  by  an  immense  difference,  after 
all ;  as  it  is  found  by  experiment,  that  sinners  can  live  in  it 
much  better  than  they  can  in  the  grave. 

It  is  highly  proper  that  we  enquire  what  is  meant  by  this 
lowest  hell,  out  of  which  David  was  delivered  : — whether  it 
was  temporal  sorrows  and  affliction,  or  a  guilty  conscience,  on 
account  of  sin,  from  which  he  was  so  miraculously  delivered 
by  the  providence  and  inrerposition  of  his  God  ?  as  we  deny 
its  having  been  the  latter  in  any  degree  whatever.  All  men 
who  are  at  all  acquainted  with  the  history  of  king  David, 
from  the  time  of  his  victory  over  Goliah  of  Gath,  till  he  was 
crowned  king  of  Israel,  know  well  through  what  difficulties 
and  opposition  of  enemies — with  Saul  at  their  head — he  passed 
to  the  throne.  Seven  years,  or  nearly  so,  he  was  treated  as 
an  outlaw,  and  compelled  to  flee  his  country,  pursued  by  one 
continued  storm  of  persecution,  of  hair-breadth  escapes,  in 
fleeing  from  mountain  to  mountain,  and  from  cave  to  cave — 
pursued,  waylaid,  ambushed,  and  hunted  like  a  wild  beast,  or 
a  partridge,  asleep  or  awake — pressed  on  every  side  by  con- 
tinual dangers — in  perpetual  fear  of  the  assassin's  dagger — the 
emissaries  of  Saul.  On  these  very  subjects — and  relating  to 
these  very  troubles,  several  of  the  Psalms  were  written,  which 
describe  his  situation,  his  distress ;  as  also  the  many  miracu- 
lous deliverances  which  God  the  afforded  him  from  his  pur- 
suers. In  one  of  these  Psalms,  is  found  this  famous  text,  as 
quoted  above — namely  t  "  thou  hast  delivered  my  soul  from 
the  lowest  hell"  This  is  descriptive,  and  comparative  lan- 
guage ;  by  which  is  understood  his  final  victory  over  all  his 
enemies,  and  persecutors  of  the  house,  and  kingdom  of  Saul, 
and  of  his  exhaltation  to  the  throne  of  Israel.  His  troubles 
during  that  time  were  so  great,  that  he  has  used  a  figure  of 
speech,  by  which  they  are  shown  to  have  been  worse  than 
death,  or  the  grave  could  could  have  been  to  him,  at  that 
time. 

That  his  afflictions  during  that  period — a  lapse  of  nearly 
seven  years — are  meant  by  these  strong  words  :  the  lowest 
hell,  we  think  we  prove  by  the  residue  of  the  chapter,  imme- 
diately following  that  statement, — which  is  :    "  O  God,  the 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  207 

proud  are  risen  against  me,  and  the  assemblies  of  violent  men 
have  sought    after   my  soul    [life.]      But  thou,  0   Lord,  art 
full  of  compassion,  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  plenteous 
in  mercy  and  truth.     O  turn  unto  me,  and  have  mercy  upon 
me  ;  give  thy  strength  unto  thy  servant,  and  save  the  son  of 
thy  handmaid.     Shew  me  a  token  for  good,  that  they  which 
hate  me   may  see   it  and   be  ashamed."     Do  not  the  above 
words  plainly  allude  to  his  temporal  distresses  at  that  time  ? 
if  not,  how  could  he  pray  to  be  delivered  from  the  assemblies 
of  violent  men,   and  from  them  that   hated  him,  and  sought 
after  his  soul  or  life,  to  take  it  away  from  the  earth  ?  who  did 
this   but  Saul  and  his  warriors,  in  their  zeal  to  kill  David  ; 
because  he  had  been  appointed  to  the  kingdom  by  the  prophet 
Samuel,  some  time  before  he  had  the  fight  with  Goliah  ?     In 
this  class  of  the  Psalms  of  David,  which  describe  his  sorrows 
of  that  time,  there  are  various  direct  allusions,  in  which  he 
praises  God  for  signal  help,  and  deliverances  in  battle  from 
death,   and  from   being  taken  by  the  soldiers  of  Saul ;  see 
chapter  lv.  of  his  Psalms,  18,  21,  "He  hath  delivered  my 
soul  in  peace  from  the   battle  that  was  against  me,  for  there 
were   many    (invisible  beings,   or  angels  of  God)   with  me. 
He  (Saul)    hath   put  forth   his  hands  against  such  as  be  at 
peace  with  him,  (meaning  himself,)  he  hath  broken  his  cove- 
nant,   (with  me  David.)     The   words    of  his    mouth    were 
smoother  than  butter;  but  war  (murder)  was  in   his  heart; 
his  words  were  softer  than  oil,  yet  were  they  drawn  swords." 
By  the  same   rule  of  comparison  that  he  calls  Saul's  words 
drawn  swords,  he  calls  his  troubles  with  that  monarch  hell, 
and  the  sorrows  of  hell  which  compassed   him  round  about. 
If  David  had  not  believed  there  is  a  hell  in  which  there  are 
sorrows,  he  could  never  have  used  the  word  as  descriptive  of 
his  own  troubles ;  but  the  grave,  in  this  comparison,  is  ex- 
cluded, as  there  are  no  sorrows  in  the  grave,  work  nor  device. 
But  from  the  account  as  given  by  David  himself,  there  can  be 
nothing  clearer  than  that  he  meant  the  deceit  and  treachery 
of  Saul,  his  father-in-law,  who  had  several  times  broken  his 
covenants  with  David,  by  which  his  life  was  endangered,  but 
was  as  often  saved  by  the  kind  and  noble  hearted  Jonathan,  the 
son  of  Saul.     In  the  56th  Psalm,  11,  12,  he  says,  "  In  God  have 
I  put  my  trust,  I  will  not  be  afraid  of  what  man  can  do  unto 
me.     For  thou   hast  delivered   my  soul  (life)  from  death," 
which  Saul  and  his  assassins  were  in  pursuit  of.     In  the  116th 
Psalm,  3,  4,  8,  he  has  the  same  afflictions  in  view,  which  drove 
him  from  the  sanctuary  of  his  religion,  to  dwell  among  pagans 
and  idolators,  where  he  remained  till  Saul's  death.     There  he 
says,  "  The  sorrows  of  death  compassed  him,  and  the  pains 
of  hell  got  hold  of  him,  I  found  trouble  and   sorrow"     But 


208  HISTORY     OP    THE    FALLEN 

not  the  troubles  of  a  guilty  conscience,  as  there  is  no  confes- 
sion of  sins,  or  of  any  particular  sin,  in  any  of  this  class  of  his 
Psalms,  as  there  are  in  those  of  his  writing  after  the  murder 
of  Uriah,  and  abduction  of  Uriah's  wife.     Sin  and  a  distressed 
conscience,  therefore,  was  not  his  trouble  at  that  time;  but 
his  outlawed  condition,  being  compelled  even  to  sleep  with 
his  life  in  his  hand,  as  he  fled  hither  and  thither  from  his  pur- 
suers.    But  to  settle  the  question  whether  this  lowest  hell, 
out  of  which  David  was  delivered,  was  a  guilty  conscience  or 
not,  we  bring  the  22d  chapter  of  2d   Samuel,  in  which  it  is 
plainly   stated   that    this  hell  was  the  persecutions  of  Saul. 
"  And  David  spake  unto  the   Lord  the  words  of  this  song,  in 
the  day  that  the  Lord  had  delivered  him  out  of  the  hand  of 
all  his  enemies,  and  out  of  the  hand  of  Saul.     And  he  said, 
the  Lord  is  my  rock  and  my  fortress,  and  my  deliverer  ;  The 
God  of  my  rock  (or  hope)  in  him  will  I  put  my  trust :  He  is 
my  shield,  and  the  horn  (hope)  of  my  salvation,    my   high 
tower  and  my  refuge,  my  saviour ;  thou  savedst  me  from  vio- 
lence, (from   Saul  and  his  dagger,)  I  will  call  on  the  Lord, 
who  is   worthy  to  be  praised  ;   so  shall  I  be  saved  from  my 
enemies.     When  the  waves  of  death  made  me  afraid,  the  sor- 
rows of  hell  compassed  me   about,  the  snares  of  death  pre- 
vented (or  were  aboutj  me.     17,  18,  He  sent  from  above,  he 
took  me  ;   he  drew  me  out  of  many  waters.     He   delivered 
me  from  my  strong  enemy,  fSaulJ  and  from  them  that  hated 
me,  for  they  were  too  strong  for  me.1'     And   to  show  that 
these  sorrows  of  David  were  not  on  account  of  sin,  he  says, 
verses  21,   22,    "The   Lord   rewarded  me    according  to  my 
righteousness  ;   according  to  the  cleanness  of  my  hands  hath 
he  recompensed  me.     For  I  have  kept  the  ways  of  the  Lord, 
and  have  not  wickedly  departed  from  my  God."     This  cannot 
have   been  said  of  Christ,  as  if  it  were   possible   for  him  to 
have  wickedly  departed  from  his  God  ;  though  it  is  likely  there 
are  some  allusions  to  the  day  and  time  of  Christ  in  this  class 
highly  descriptive  Psalms  ;  but  chiefly  it  alludes  to  the  seven 
3'ears  persecution  of  Saul,  and  other  enemies,  before  he  came 
to  the  throne,  over   whom  he  finally  triumphed.     He   says, 
verse  41,  42,   "Thou  hast  also  given  me  the  neck  of  mine 
enemies,  the  heathen,  that  I  may  destroy  them  that  hate  me. 
Then  did  I  beat  them  as  small  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  I  did 
stamp  them  as  the  mire  of  the  street."     This  could  have  no 
allusion  to  Christ,  as  thus  he  came  not  to  do,  to  his  enemies 
of  this  life  ;  but  David,  as  a  conqueror  of  many  nations  round 
about,  may  on  that  account,  be  said  thus  to  have  done  to  his 
enemies. 

In  the  above  examination,  we  feel  confident  that  we  have 
shown  clearly,  that  the  loiuest  hell  out  of  which  God  dcliv- 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  209 

ered  David,  was  not  any  conscience  suffering,  as  imagined  by 
Universalists ;  wherefore  they  must  look  for  some  other  pas- 
sage, by  which  to  prove  that  the  worst  hell  there  is  in  exis- 
tence is  in  this  life,  as  from  that  passage  it  cannot  be  made 
out.  But  as  his  sorrows  were  of  an  exceedingly  aggravated 
nature,  he  was  justified  in  seizing  upon  the  strongest  lan- 
guage, and  in  making  allusions  to  the  worst  of  sufferings,  even 
to  the  sufferings  of  the  damned. 

Now  if  any  Universalist  should  happen  to  agree  with  us 
in  this  exposition,  namely,  that  it  was  not  from  the  sufferings 
of  a  guilty  conscience  that  David  was  at  that  time  delivered, 
but  from  personal  afflictions  of  an  outward  and  domiciliary 
character,  then  such  Universalists  will  admit  that  this  lowest 
hell  consisted  of  mere  trouble,  such  as  may  fall  upon  the  most 
pure  character;  and  will  be  compelled  to  place  such  troubles 
in  the  scale  of  human  suffering  in  this  life,  above  even  the 
sufferings  of  a  guilty  conscience,  and  presents  a  problem  of 
rather  a  vexatious  aspect ;  for  as  we  understand  Universalists, 
it  is  sin  which  produces  the  worst  hell  that  can  exist ;  while 
according  to  David,  it  is  temporal  affliction  ;  if  it  be  disal- 
lowed that  he  borrowed  his  idea  of  hell  from  the  belief  of  the 
existence  of  a  hell  in  eternity,  into  which,  in  a  certain  place, 
David  himself  has  said,  all  the  wicked,  and  the  nations  who 
forget  God,  shall  be  finally  turned.     Psalms,  ix.  17. 

That  there  is  such  a  hell  in  another  world,  is  no  where 
contradicted  in  the  Scriptures  ;  which,  we  should  think,  the 
all  seeing  eye  of  inspiration  would  have  done,  if  there  is  not ; 
as  the  error  is  a  monstrous  one  in  theology,  and  could  not 
have  escaped  the  foreknowledge  of  God,  nor  been  allowed  to 
remain  unforetold,  as  other  errors  are  in  relation  to  what  is 
essential  to  be  believed  or  rejected,  and  that  there  is  no  hell 
is  very  essential  with  Universalists.  We  know  as  well  as 
Universalists,  that  the  word  hell,  in  many  places  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, means  no  more  than  the  grave,  and  very  great  afflic- 
tions in  this  life,  &c. ;  but  we  also  know,  and  Universalists 
know,  and  might  believe,  that  the  word  occurs,  in  many 
places,  and  in  such  connection,  as  that  allusions  to  the  grave, 
a  guilty  conscience,  or  to  earthly  afflictions  of  any  kind,  are 
as  impossible  as  that  the  word  should  allude  to  heaven,  or 
any  other  condition  of  happiness. 

Is  the  hell  of  which  David  speaks,  as  just  above  quoted, 
the  grave?  if  so,  then  as  before  stated,  the  righteous  have  as 
much  to  fear  as  have  the  wicked,  and  thither  they  must  as 
surely  descend.  Was  this  hell  of  which  David  speaks,  the 
afflictions  of  this  life  ?  if  so,  then  the  righteous  are  even 
more  exposed,  and  worse  tormented  in  this  hell  than  are  the 
wicked ;  for  it  is  written  in  Scripture  of  them,  that  they  "  are 


210  HISTORY    OF   THE    TALLEST 

not  troubled  as  are  other  men,  neither  are  they  plagued  as 
other  men ;  and  that  there  are  no  bonds  (or  fears  of  hell)  in  their 
death."  Psalms,  lxxiii.  4,  5.  From  these  passages,  it  is  evident 
that  it  is  best  to  be  of  the  number  of  the  wicked,  if  there  is  no  hell 
to  be  feared  beyond  this  life,  as  by  that  means,  much  suffering 
for  righteousness  sake  would  be  avoided. 

But  respecting  this  hell's  consisting  of  fire  and  brimstone,  many 
eminent  men  of  the  orthodox  sects  have  doubted,  and  wholly 
deny  its  being  composed  of  those  materials,  or  of  any  other  mate- 
rial, yet  believe  in  its  existence.  But  how  such  an  opinion  is  to 
be  maintained,  we  should  imagine  very  difficult  to  make  out ; 
seeing  the  Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament,  as  well  as  the  old, 
speak  of  it  as  having  been  prepared,  or  created.  These  imag- 
ine that  all  the  strong  and  specific  language  in  the  Bible,  about 
hell,  is  but  figurative,  and  intend  nothing  more  than  a  state  of 
mind  wholly  cast  off  from  God,  and  abandoned  to  irretrievable 
and  incessant  depravity  and  despair  in  eternity.  But  this  cannot 
be,  as  in  such  a  case  the  Scripture  would  not  say  that  hell  was 
ordained  of  old  ;  see  Isaiah,  xxx.  33,  and  in  Matthew,  xxv.  41, 
that  it  was  prepared  or  created  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  If 
hell  is  but  a  state,  or  condition  of  mind  only,  how  are  we  to  im- 
agine such  a  state  as  having  been  prepared  beforehand,  by  the 
Divine  Being?  Mental  suffering  does  not,  and  cannot  exist, 
beforehand  ;  the  idea  is  as  impossible  as  preposterous.  It  cannot 
be  said  of  God  that  he  has  prepared  a  condition  of  mental  suffer- 
ing, as  being  distinct  and  apart  from  the  mind  or  spirit  which 
may  suffer ;  for  mental  distress  is  dependent  on  the  being  of 
mind.  It  cannot  be  said  that  God  made  fallen  angels  wicked  j 
and  unless  this  can  be  said,  it  cannot  be  allowed  that  he  pre- 
pared  their  punishment,  if  it  is  but  of  a  mental  nature  ;  for  their 
punishment,  in  such  a  case,  is  in  their  own  wickedness  and  men- 
tal suffering. 

That  the  wicked  suffer  mentally,  we  do  not  deny,  except  in 
those  cases  where  they  are  past  feeling ;  but  that  God  created  or 
prepared  mental  suffering,  we  do  deny,  as  that  is  a  consequence 
following  on  the  commission  of  sin,  and  cannot  precede  it ;  on 
which  account  it  needed  not  to  be  created  or  prepared  by  the  Su- 
preme Being,  as  it  is  of  spontaneous  growth,  from  its  own  origin, 
that  of  sin  and  rebellion. 

If  the  hell  of  eternity  is  wholly  mental, — how  is  it  then  that 
the  bodies  of  the  wicked  are  to  be  cast  into  it?  For  it  is  said — 
as  we  have  already  frequently  quoted — that  the  Saviour  caution- 
ed his  disciples  to  fear  him  who  is  able  to  destroy  both  body  and 
soul  in  hell,  which  cannot  be  done,  if  there  is  no  literal  hell,  as 
the  body  cannot  sutler  mentally  and  knowingly.  If  the  terms 
fire  and  brimsone,  lake  of  fire,  hell  fire,  the  unquenchable  fire, 
and  eternal  fire,  are  all  to  be  understood  as  merely  figuritive,  we 
ask,  what  is  gained  by  it?     This,  and  this  only;  hell  is  much 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  211 

worse  than  the  literal  sense  of  the  Bible  makes  it  to  be ;  and 
what  right  has  any  man  to  do  this  ?     But  the  truth  is,  all  such 
persons  as  thus  believe,  do  by  no  means  intend  to  lessen  the  hor- 
rors of  that  state  ;  yet  they  do  so,  in  the  most  direct  sense ;  as 
it  is  impossible  for  the  mind  to  conceive  of  mental  suffering  as 
acutely  as  it  can  of  the  suffering  of  the  senses.     To  prove  this,  we 
will  state  a  case,  thus :  let  a  person  who  is  endowed  with  the 
powers  of  eloquence,  to  such  a  degree,  that  an  audience  consist- 
ing of  thousands,  are  carried  in  his  flights  of  language  to  the 
very  heavens,  and  made  almost  to  feel,  to  see,  and  to  hear,  the 
unutterable  things  of  which  St.  Paul  speaks,  which  he  saw  in 
Paradise — let  him  paint  the  horrors  of  war  till  the  blood  freezes 
in  the  veins,  or  the  fountains  of  the  head  gush  out  in  tears,  at 
the  recital  of  pain  and  suffering ;  let  such  an  one  describe — as  is 
often  done — the  deep,  deep  chasms  of  hell — consisting  of  burn- 
ing flames   which  never  go  down — of  waves,  of  gulphs,  and 
floods  of  rolling  fiery  billows,  that  sweep  in  ceaseless  tempests 
over  that  dismal  ocean  of  wo,  without  end, — till  the  very  hairs 
of  the  head  stand  erect,  and  the  blood  rushes  to  the  heart  for  shel- 
ter— with  eyeballs  distended  in  their  sockets — thrilling  soul  and 
body  with  agonies  intolerable  ;  but  the  instant  it  is  said,  by  way 
of  paraphrase,  by  the  orator,  that  all  this  is  but  a  figure,  the 
mind  and  body,  in  a  moment,  are  released,  as  from  the  wreck, 
and  lose  their  tension — while  a  sensation  of  comfort  passes  over 
the  mind,  on  account  of  the  transition  from  fact,  to  that  which 
is  merely  a  figure.     A  figure  is  infinitely  less,  in  every  sense  of 
the  word,  than  the  thing  it  signifies ;  on  which  account,  those 
among  the  ortthodox,  who  teach  that  hell  is  not  literally  what  it 
is  stated  to  be  in  the  bible,  throw  it  so  far  beyond  all  human  con- 
ception, that  it  ceases  to  have  any  effect ;  and  is  of  just  as  much 
force  to  deter  from  the  commission  of  sin,  as  the  threatnings  of  a 
parent  of  condign  punishment  would  be  to  an  infant  of  a  day 
old  :  which  is  just  none  at  all.     We  therefore,  believe  it  to  be  of 
literal  existence — according  to  the  word  and  letter  of  the  Bible. 
Such  a  place  is  suited  to  the  purposes  of  suffering  and  punish- 
ment of  both  soul  and  body ;  while  a  mental  state  of  distress  is 
adapted  to  but  one,  and  besides,  it  is  anti-Scriptural ;  as  no  man 
has  a  right  to  exceed  the  letter  of  Scripture,  in  his  descriptions, 
either  of  hell  or  heaven — nor  yet  to  fall  below  that  letter.     Such 
of  the  orthodox  sects,  as  flinch  in  their  faith  of  a  literal  hell,  and 
are  ashamed  of  its  horrors,  and  would  fain  hide  themselves 
under  a  figure,  are  doing  the  cause  of  religious  truth  no  good ; 
as  by  such  a  course,  the  sanctions  of  moral  law  are  greatly  lessen- 
ed, if  not  entirely  taken  away,  on  account  of  this  inconceivable 
figurability.     Tangible  objects — such  as  fire  and  brimstone,  or 
any  thing  else  which  is  matter — can  never  be  used  as  figures  of 
mental  distress,  or  the  sufferings  of  spirit  or  mind,  because  they 
are  not  in  any  sense  similar  to  each  other.     The  howling  of  the 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

winds,  the  commotions  of  flood  in  uproar,  the  tumbling  of  moun- 
tains or  worlds  to  atoms,  or  the  rage  of  oceans  of  flame,  fed  by 
the  combustion  of  the  universe,  could  be  no  figure  of  mental 
ruin ;  as  no  conception  thereby  is  obtained  of  such  a  condition. 

The  opinion  of  the  existence  of  such  a  place,  is  coeval  with 
human  existence ;  and  seems  exactly  adapted  to  our  condition 
under  the  Divine  government :  as  from  this  idea,  all  the  force  of 
moral  law  is  derived,  and  even  the  force  of  human  laws ;  for 
what  human  law  is  that,  in  any  nation — in  any  age  of  the  world, 
which  has  no  penal  sanction.  The  belief,  therefore,  in  the  ex- 
istence of  this  great  and  terrible  sanction  of  the  Divine  govern- 
ment, is  but  in  accordance  with  the  fitness  of  things  in  every  age 
of  the  earth,  and  ascends  in  importance,  as  it  is  adapted  to  the 
immensity  of  the  great  universe  of  God. 

If  it  be  said  that  the  doctrine  of  the  existence  of  a  hell  in  anoth- 
er world,  is  of  no  importance  to  the  inducement  of  a  good  life  in 
this,  then  it  may  be  said  with  equal  truth,  that  penal  sanctions,  as 
it  respects  human  laws,  are  of  no  importance  in  their  observance 
among  men,  which  were  a  man  to  assert,  he  would  be  set  down  as 
a  fool — even  by  Universalists,  themselves.  Is  it  not,  therefore, 
proper  to  believe,  that  God,  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  the  whole  uni- 
verse, is  as  strict  in  his  sanction  of  his  laws  as  man  is,  and  in- 
finitely more  so,  and  that  from  this  fact,  the  very  idea,  as 
well  as  the  necessity  of  penal  sanction,  was  derived  to  human 
society. 

Concerning  this  place,  it  is  said  in  Psalms,  that — "  the  wicked 
shall  be  turned  into"  it,  "with  all  the  nations  that  forget  God." 
Now,  how  is  this  ?  Are  they  to  be  emptied  out  into  infinite 
space,  like  a  bag  of  chaff,  to  wander  where  they  will?  Then, 
infinite  space  is  hell ;  which  cannot  be.  By  this  remark  of  inspi- 
ration, it  would  seem  they  are  to  be  in  company  :  and  as  finite 
beings  are  of  necessity  local,  then  this  hell  is  a  location, — which 
cannot  be  said  of  infinite  space  :  which  is  not  a  location,  but  is 
its  exact  opposite  in  its  nature :  as  that  which  is  everywhere 
present,  cannot  be  a  location.  Now,  as  the  bodies  of  the  wicked 
are  to  accompany  their  minds  ;  and  as  soul  and  body,  both  are 
local,  it  follows,  that  the  hell  into  which  they  are  to  be  turned,  is 
also  local,  and  if  local,  then  it  is  of  necessity  literal,  and  if  liter- 
al, it  was  of  necesity  created,  or  prepared ;  as  the  Scripture  of  St. 
Matthew  says,  it  was  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  into  which  this 
earth,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  is  to  be  cast ;  and  also  all  other 
worlds,  if  any  there  are,"or  may  be,  which  shall  apostatize — will, 
it  is  likely,  be  also  cast,  at  the  respective  times  of  their  reckoning 
with  the  offended  Creator. 

Thus  we  have  made  a  few  remarks  on  the  belief  which  some 
orthodox  persons  entertain,  that  the  strong  language  of  Scrip- 
ture, namely :  that  of  fire  and  brimstone,  is  wholly  figurative, — 
which  opinion  cannot  be  otherwise  than  anti- Scriptural. 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  213 

That  this  hades,  which  is  however  quite  another  thing,  was 
in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  was  believed  by  the  ancient  Greeks, 
before  the  Christian  era,  whither  the  souls  of  the  wicked  after 
death  were  sent,  and  was  by  them  called  Tartarus ;  where,  in 
this  dungeon  of  the  globe,  they  are  bound  in  penal  chains,  with- 
out hope  or  mitigation  of  wo.  But  how  came  the  Greeks  by 
such  an  opinion  in  their  religion  ?  Very  easily,  as  some  parts  of 
the  Old  Testament,  to  wit,  the  book  of  Genesis,  and  of  Job, 
which  were  written  sixteen  hundred  years  before  the  Christian 
era,  and  other  parts,  as  Exodus,  Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteron- 
omy, Joshua,  Judges,  Samuel,  the  book  of  Psalms,  Proverbs,  and 
Ecclesiastes  ;  a  thousand  years,  and  some  of  these  last  mentioned 
more  than  a  thousand  years  before  that  time ;  in  which  books 
such  an  idea  is  frequently  inculcated,  and  plainly  stated,  as  in 
Job  and  Psalms,  as  before  quoted,  from  which  such  Greeks  as 
could  understand  the  Hebrew  might  have  derived  it.  This 
opinion  is  also  taught  more  or  less  in  several  of  the  prophets  af- 
ter the  time  of  David  and  Solomon,  especially  by  Isaiah.  It  is 
also  recorded  in  the  Book  of  Wisdom,  in  the  Apocraphy  ;  which 
if  not  of  inspired  authority,  shows,  however,  that  the  writers  of 
the  book,  even  four  hundred  years  before  the  Christian  era,  be- 
lieved this  doctrine. 

Socrates,  the  greatest  moral  philosopher  of  ancient  Greece,  be- 
lieved, not  only  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  but  in  this  Tar- 
tarus, and  in  rewards  and  punishments  in  another  world,  whose 
remarks  on  that  subject  to  his  pupils  and  disciples  at  the  very 
time  of  his  death,  were  as  follows:  "  Set  not  too  high  a  value 
upon  your  children,  your  life,  or  anything  in  this  world,  as 
upon  justice  :  that  when  you  appear  before  the  tribunal  of 
Pluto,  '{the  king  or  God  of  hell)  you  may  not  be  at  a 
loss  to  defend  yourself  in  the  presence  of  your  judges:1  Di- 
rectly after  this,  he  adds,  that  such  as  will  live  in  despite  to  the 
laws  of  justice  in  this  world,  shall  have  the  laws  for  their  enemy ; 
':  and  when  you  arc  dead,  our  sisters  the  laics  in  the  regions 
below,  icill  be  as  little  favorable  to  you.'1  Rollin,  vol.  4,  p.  36. 
It  is  impossible  to  understand  this  great  and  renowned  man, 
who  lived  over  four  hundred  years  before  Christ  but  of  such  a 
hell,  or  TartaniSj  as  existing  in  the  bowels  of  the  globe. 

The  Greeks  were  amazing  in  their  love  of  knowledge,  and 
travelled  everywhere  in  its  pursuit ;  and  what  should  hinder  their 
knowing  the  theology  of  the  Jews  ?  as  it  was  an  easy  matter  for 
them  to  ^o  to  Jerusalem,  which  in  those  ages  was  more  famous 
for  its  religious  knowledge,  than  any  other  city  or  country  on  the 
globe.  How  could  a  Greek  understand  anything  else,  than  that 
such  a  place  is  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ;  from  reading  Isaiah  in 
the  Hebrew,  who  wrote  six  hundred  years  before  Christ.  See 
chap.  xvi.  9,  where  hell  from  beneath,  is  said  to  have  been  moved 
on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  one  of  the  kings  of  Babylon. 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

What  could  they  understand  from  the  words  hell  from  beneath, 
but  that  it  was  in  the  earth,  which  they  called  Tartarus.  That 
the  Jews  believed  this  opinion  long  before  Christ,  we  show  from 
the  prayer  of  king  Manasses,  while  at  Babylon  as  a  captive,  a 
sentence  of  which  reads  thus  :  "  Be  not  angry  with  me  forever, 
by  reserving  evil  for  me ;  neither  condemn  me  into  the  lower 
parts  of  the  earth?  See  Apochraphy.  Which  prayer  is  al- 
luded to  in  2d  Chronicles,  xxviii.  13.  Manasses  had  been  ex- 
tremely wicked  as  a  king  at  Jerusalem,  and  had  caused  his  peo- 
ple even  to  excel  the  very  heathen  in  idolatrous  abominations  ; 
which,  when  he  went  a  captive  to  Babylon,  he  repented  of  and 
prayed,  not  to  be  cut  off  and  sent  down  to  Tartarus,  or  the  lower 
parts  of  the  earth,  which  prayer  was  heard  ;  as  he  was  restored 
finally  to  Judea  again,  and  passed  the  residue  of  his  days  in  acts 
of  righteousness.  His  prayer,  therefore,  cannot  be  understood 
as  extorted  by  the  mere  fear  of  death  and  the  grave  ;  as  he  knew 
he  must  die  finally,  as  well  as  others ;  but  rather  from  a  divine 
conviction  of  sin,  and  the  dread  of  damnation  in  another  world, 
on  which  account  he  prayed  against  so  dreadful  an  end,  and  was 
heard.  But  as  corroborative  and  also  as  proof  positive  of  the 
truth  of  this  belief,  we  bring  the  remarkable  statement  of  St. 
Peter ;  by  whom  in  the  Greek  this  word  Tartarus,  is  used,  to 
denote  the  place  to  which  the  fallen  angels  were  doomed.  See 
2d  Peter  ii.  4.  "  For  if  God  spared  not  the  angels  that  (who) 
sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  Tartarus" — which  is  translated 
hell  in  the  English,  and  certainly  means  more  than  the  grave  in 
the  Greek,  and  of  course  must  also  in  the  English,  or  any  other 
language. 

By  this  expression  of  St.  Peter  in  the  Greek,  it  is  the  opinion 
of  Adam  Clarke,  as  he  understood  the  Greek  well,  that  he  meant 
a  place  of  darkness  and  wretchedness,  from  which  it  is  impossi- 
ble for  them  to  escape .  That  the  thing  is  true,  and  that  there  is 
a  Tartarus,  or  hell,  in  the  bowels  of  this  earth,  where  the  fallen 
angels,  such  as  are  allowed  to  be  here,  are  liable  to  be  sent,  be- 
sides the  hell  which  was  prepared  expressly  for  them  somewhere 
in  infinite  space,  to  which  they  must  all  go  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment. See  Luke  viii.  31.  "  And  they  (the  evil  spirits  which  had 
possessed  the  man  among  the  tombs)  besought  him  (Christ)  that 
he  would  not  command  them  to  go  out  into  the  deep?  This 
deep  against  which  they  prayed,  could  not  have  been  the  lake 
Genesareth,  nor  yet  the  ocean,  because  to  go  into  the  waters  was 
the  very  thing  they  desired,  which  they  did,  in  company  with  a 
great  herd  of  swine;  wherefore,  their  apprehensions  were 
directed  to  the  deep  of  Tartarus  in  the  fires  of  the  globe,  in 
its  centre  or  internal  parts,  or  their  request  had  no  meaning  at  all. 

But  although  we  believe  in  this  prison-house  <?f  the  souls  of 
the  wicked,  where  they  are  and  shall  be  confined  till  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  that  it  is  in  the  subterranean  fires  and  caverns  of 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  215 

the  globe ;  yet  by  no  means  do  we  entertain  any  such  idea  as 
that  such  a  condition  is  a  purgatory  ^  as  held  by  the  Catholics ; 
but  is  used  only  as  the  anti-chamber  to  a  further  and  final  dam- 
nation, at  the  time  of  the  end  of  the  world.  If  the  idea  is  horri- 
ble, we  have  it  to  say  that  there  is  laid  no  necessity  upon  any  hu- 
man or  angelic  creature  to  qualify  himself  for  such  a  condition, 
for  such  an  awful  end  ;  and  that  there  is  a  heaven  as  glorious  as 
hell  is  horrible ;  which  all  creatures  who  are  now  lost,  both  an- 
gelic and  human,  might  have  secured  by  proper  attention  to  the 
means  afforded.  It  is  in  the  kingdom  of  grace  as  in  the  kingdom 
of  nature.  God  has  bestowed  an  infinity  of  blessings  and  mer- 
cies which  are  adapted  to  the  support  of  all  the  powers  of  our 
animal  natures ;  yet  though  this  is  done,  he  will  feed,  clothe, 
comfort  nor  house  any  man,  only  as  he  shall  seize  upon  the  cir- 
cumstances and  conditions  of  things  by  which  he  is  surrounded. 
So  it  is  as  it  relates  to  the  avoiding  this  terrible  hell  and  Tartarus 
of  which  we  are  treating  in  this  work,  and  of  securing  a  place  in 
heaven  ;  we  have  only  to  lay  hold  of  the  hope  set  before  us,  and 
take  advantage  of  the  circumstances  of  mercy  which  God  has 
provided  in  his  Son,  by  which  means  salvation  may  be  secured, 
which  fact  is  sufficiently  redeeming  in  its  nature  and  end,  to 
counterbalance  the  exposedness  there  is  of  falling  into  the  other 
extreme,  which  is  damnation. 


Respecting  whether  other  worlds  may  have  been  destroyed 
as  this  is  to  be  by  fire,  and  some  proofs  of  such  occurrences 
according  to  late  astronomical  discoveries. 

But  if  there  are  other  worlds  which  are  peopled,  and  any  of 
them  have  sinned  as  we  have  done,  it  follows  therefore,  that  there 
may  have  been,  and  yet  may  be,  many  days  of  judgment  such 
as  is  to  take  place  respecting  this  world  on  which  we  live.  If 
so,  then  may  we  not  inquire  whether  they  were,  or  shall  be 
tempted  as  Eve  was,  by  a  devil  ?  To  which  we  reply,  that  from 
the  time  of  the  fall  of  the  angels  till  the  day  of  the  judgment  of 
this  earth,  there  is  no  doubt  but  Satan,  with  his  fallen  associate 
spirits  have  been,  and  now  are  permitted  to  be  the  triers  of  the 
heads  of  the  people  of  all  worlds.  But  how  many  have  withstood 
his  wiles,  as  Eve  should  have  done,  we  cannot  tell ;  but  at  the  time 
of  the  judgment  day  of  this  world,  it  appears  that  the  permissive 
wanderings  of  Satan  and  his  associate  powers  is  to  be  ended,  as 
he  and  they  are  to  be  shut  up  in  the  bottomless  pit,  the  hell  which 
was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels  originally,  from  which 
he  and  his  companions  are  never  to  be  released.  For  which  rea- 
son it  would  appear  that  from  thence  forward,  after  that  time,  their 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

blasting  influence  is  no  more  to  be  feared  or  felt ;  a  new  era  of 
things  or  a  new  dispensation  of  eternity  is  to  commence ;  when, 
thereafter,  a  new  mode  of  trial,  or  of  probationary  procedure  is  to 
be  entered  upon,  with  respect  to  any  new  worlds  which  thereaf- 
ter may  be  created  and  peopled.  In  order  that  immortal  intelli- 
gences may  pass  through  a  probationary  state,  and  be  tried  as  to 
their  fealty,  with  respect  to  any  law  of  God,  we  are  not  to  sup- 
pose a  Satan  and  evil  spirits  necessary.  Yet  as  these  were  found 
in  a  state  of  apostacy  and  rebellion  against  God  and  all  his  works, 
they  have  been  allowed  to  be  our  triers  or  tempters,  as  well  it  is 
likely  as  the  inhabitants  of  all  other  worlds,  and  will  still  be  al- 
lowed so  to  do  if  any  more  worlds  may  be  created  and  peopled 
before  their  final  doom  in  the  bottomless  pit.  Neither  are  we  to 
believe  that  the  devils  or  fallen  angels,  by  so  doing  have  served 
God  in  his  purposes,  or  fulfilled  any  wish  or  decree  of  his  :  but 
as  their  natures  are  now  evil,  and  that  in  the  extreme,  and  ever 
bent  by  inclination  to  do  injury,  out  of  revenge  and  malice  to 
the  Divine  Being,  this  disposition  has  been  permitted  to  be  the 
tempters  or  triers  of  the  free-will  or  free-agency  of  such  as  have 
been  placed  in  a  probationary  condition,  of  lower  orders  than 
themselves.  But  though  they  have  been  allowed  to  be  the 
tempters  of  all  worlds,  as  yet  created,  we  know  not  whether  they 
have  succeeded  to  introduce  sin  and  ruin  in  any  other  globe  than 
this  on  which  we  dwell.  Yet  we  fear  that  such  is  the  truth,  and 
the  following  is  our  reason  for  such  fear :  "  It  is  an  extraordina- 
ry fact,  that  within  the  period  of  the  last  century,  not  less  than 
thirteen  stars  in  different  constellations  seem  totally  to  have  disap- 
peared ;  forty  to  have  changed  their  magnitudes,  by  becoming 
much  larger,  while  others  have  dwindled  away  to  mere  specks  in 
the  firmament,  compared  with  their  former  size ;  while  there  has 
apappeared  ten  new  stars,  where  heretofore  there  was  nothing. 
Several  of  these  so  disappearing,  exhibited  all  the  signs  of  confla- 
gration, seen  even  at  mid-day,  appearing  some  a  langer  and  some 
a  shorter  time,  then  disappearing  forever."  Good's"j5ooA*  of  Na- 
ture, p.  35.  (See  the  Plate,  which  shows  the  descent  of  such 
globes  to  hell  as  have  had  their  day  of  judgment.) 

From  this  fact,  we  conclude  that  those  stars  which  have  dis- 
appeared, have  been  destroyed  by  fire,  as  this  is  to  be,  at  the  last 
day,  and  consequently  that  the  beings  which  inhabitated  them 
have  sinned  as  we  have  done,  and  have  been  judged ;  the  good 
saved  and  the  bad  cast  away,  according  to  the  unalterable  pro- 
cedure of  the  Eternal.  The  appearance  of  those  new  stars, 
shows  also,  that  the  great  work  of  creation  is  still  going  on  in 
the  various  regions  of  infinite  space,  which  can  never  be  filled 
up,  though  multiplied,  a  million  a  second,  without  end.  But 
when  it  is  considered  that  those  stars  which  have  thus  disap- 
peared were  suns  in  the  firmament,  and  gave  light  each  to  a 
system  of  worlds  or  planets  which  moved  about  them,  then  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  219 

idea  of  the  ruin  of  so  many  systems  enhances  the  horror  of  the 
reason  of  that  ruin ;  which  must  have  been  sin,  as  we  see  no 
reason  why  they  should  be  destroyed,  if  not  on  that  account. 
The  appearance  of  those  ten  new  stars,  shows  that  ten  new  suns 
have  been  created,  with  ten  new  systems  revolving  about  them ; 
but  on  account  of  their  distance  from  this  earth,  their  planets  or 
satelites  are  not  discernible,  while  the  suns  are.  The  forty 
which  have  changed  their  positions,  have  been  differently  ar- 
ranged by  the  Creator,  merely  for  order's  sake,  and  to  restore  the 
balance  of  the  stars,  as  dictated  by  the  principles  of  attraction  and 
repulsion,  the  unalienable  laws  of  matter. 

In  corroboration  of  the  above  opinions,  we  will  mention  that 
in  many  parts  of  the  world,  in  various  ages,  there  has  fallen  to 
the  earth,  singly  and  showers,  stones  of  considerable  size,  weigh- 
ing from  seven  to  two  hundred  lbs. ;  and  in  on  one  instauce — 
April  5,  1825 — in  South  America,  there  fell  to  the  earth  from 
the  atmosphere,  a  body  of  iron  of  seventy  cubic  feet  dimensions, 
weighing  several  tons. 

In  one  instance,  but  a  few  years  since,  there  was  an  immense 
rock,  imagined  to  be  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length — which 
in  descending  from  the  regions  above,  with  a  velocity  altogether 
inconceivable,  dipt  into  our  atmosphere,  but  with  such  violence 
that  it  glanced  away  (the  same  as  a  stone  glances  on  the  water, 
when  thrown  swiftly,)  into  the  regions  of  space  again  ;  but 
whether  it  returned  by  the  earth's  attraction,  and  fell  into  the  sea, 
or  on  some  unknown  parts  of  the  earth,  is  unknown. 

The  volcanoes  of  the  moon,  it  is  conjectured  by  some,  are  the 
origin  of  those  stones  ;  but  by  others,  that  they  may  have  been 
thrown  off  from  worlds  in  a  state  of  dissolution  by  fire,  the  frag- 
ments of  which  fly  in  all  directions — some  reaching  distant 
worlds,  which  might  intercept  their  courses ;  while  other  frag- 
ments are  still  flying,  having  met  with  no  interruption  ;  and  will 
continue  to  fly  forever,  unless  impeded  by  some  other  body  in 
space. 

For  a  particular  account  of  all  the  instances  on  record,  res- 
pecting the  fall  of  stones  from  the  heavens,  their  weight,  number, 
foe*,  see  Adam  Clarke's  Commentary  on  the  10th  chapter  of 
Joshua.  Old  Testament.  The  moon,  though  not  in  a  state  of 
ruin,  as  supposed  by  some,  is  nevertheless,  no  doubt  in  a  condi- 
tion of  perpetual  change  and  eruption  on  its  surface.  This 
appears,  when  viewed  through  the  most  powerful  telescopes ;  as 
the  moon's  surface  is  exceedingly  broken  and  interspersed  by 
pointed  mountains,  deep  vallies,  and  small  bodies  of  water.  If 
earth  and  water  are  found  there,  which  is  evident  from  its  ap- 
pearance, then  there  must  be  vegetation  ;  and  if  vegetation,  then 
animal  life;  and  if  animal  life,  there  must  be,  of  necessity,  rea- 
sonable beings,  or  all  these  things  there  exist  in  vain,  so  far  as 
the  moon's  existence  can  be  said  to  glorify  God,  only  as  seen  by 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

the  inhabitants  of  distant  worlds.  Those  reasonable  beings  are, 
therefore,  no  doubt  just  such  beings  as  inhabit  this  earth,  subject 
to  all  the  laws  of  nature  that  we  are,  and  to  the  moral  government 
of  God,  equally  with  us ;  as  for  what  other  purpose  than  the 
developement  of  intellectual  beings,  can  the  creation  of  any  globe 
of  the  universe  be  called  forth  ? 

It  is  also  our  opinion,  that  all  such  worlds  as  have,  or  may  yet 
sin,  have  been,  and  will  continue  to  be,  removed  out  of  their 
orbits,  and  cast  into  this  lake  of  fire,  as  we  are  sure  is  to  be  the 
case  with  this,  at  the  last  day,  as  before  argued.  This  lake,  sea, 
or  ocean  of  fire,  is  no  doubt  situated  so  far  from  the  other  parts 
of  the  universe,  that  the  power  of  attraction  as  existing  between 
the  worlds  of  the  universe,  cannot  reach  it ;  where  it  remains, 
resting  on  its  own  centre,  in  the  great  vortex  of  space,  without 
motion  or  revolution ;  on  which  account  it  may  be  spoken  of 
with  an  emphasis  as  horrible  as  eternal,  that  it  is  the  place  of 
outer  darkness,  and  of  hopeless  damnation.  As  it  respects  those 
ten  new  systems  of  worlds,  there  is  no  doubt  that  Satan  has  long 
ere  this  time  visited  them,  as  he  did  this  world  as  soon  as  it  was 
made,  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  sin  and  ruin ;  but  whether 
he  has  succeeded,  as  in  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve,  can  never  be 
known  till  the  day  of  eternity ;  when  the  mysteries  of  that  now 
impervious  state  no  doubt  shall  be  revealed,  so  far  as  shall  be  for 
the  happiness  of  the  good,  but  not  of  the  bad,  who  shall  never 
know  anything  of  the  glory  of  God's  power,  except  their  own 
hopeless  and  lost  condition.  But  as  to  those  thirteen  systems 
which  have  passed  away,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  he  has  suc- 
ceeded to  seduce  them,  or  they  would  not  have  been  destroyed, 
but  continued,  as  the  places  of  origin  to  human  souls  and  bodies, 
while  eternity  should  endure,  as  would  have  been  the  case  with 
this  world  if  it  had  not  sinned. 

But,  was  not  sin  necessary  here,  in  order  that  death  might 
relieve  the  earth  of  its  surplus  numbers  :  as  death  is  the  conse- 
quence of  sin  ?  We  answer — No !  Sin  was  not  necessary  for 
this,  nor  for  any  other  good  purpose  ;  because  it  was  in  the  pow- 
er of  God  to  translate  the  eldest  inhabitants  of  the  globe,  as  their 
numbers  should  approach  an  inconvenient  amount  of  popula- 
tion, as  is  shown  by  the  translation  of  Enoch  and  Elijah.  The 
same  doctrine  may  be  applied  to  all  worlds,  which  have,  do  now, 
or  may  yet  exist,  which  have  not  and  may  not  sin.  But  what  is 
translation  'I  It  is  the  instantaneous  change  of  a  corporeal  and 
tangible  body,  to  a  spiritual  and  supernatual  condition,  so  as  to  be 
placed  above  the  ordinary  laws  of  nature,  as  now  developed  ;  not 
being  subject  to  gravitation,  to  thirst,  to  hunger,  or  to  be  injured 
by  any  of  the  elements  of  nature,  as  the  winds,  water,  or  fire,  but 
fitted  to  exist  in  a  superhuman  condition,  altogether  invisible — 
the  same  as  was  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  after  his  resurrection. 
We  do  not  however,  infer  from  this  superhuman  condition — 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  221 

which  would  have  endowed  such  as  would  have  been  translated, 
or  shall  endow  tho  human  race,  when  raised  from  the  dead — that 
the  elements  of  hell  will  not  be  able  to  effect  the  souls  and  bodies 
of  the  wicked  in  that  condition;  which  hell,  however,  we  do  not 
allow,  is  any  part  of  nature  ;  but  exists  unconnected  with  any 
and  all  things  but  itself. 

On  this  view,  what  immense  hosts,  what  unnumbered  and  in- 
finite myriads  of  translated  and  intellectual  beings  are   every 
moment  rushing  from  all  points  to  the  throne  of  God,  which  is 
the  centre  of  the  universe,  and  region  of  the  heaven  of  the  holy 
angels,  and  of  all  who  are,  or  will  be  saved.     But  if  this  hell, 
which  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  is  to  be  the 
receiver  of  all  sinning  worlds,  will  it  not  be  greatly  enlarged  from 
period  to  period,  as  such  worlds  shall  be  cast  therein  ?    This  will 
follow  of  necessity :  which  idea,  it  is  not  impossible  but  both 
Isaiah  and  Habakkuk  have  alluded  to  (see  Isaiah,  chap.  v.  14,) 
<;  Therefore  hell  hath  enlarged  herself,  and  opened  her  mouth 
without  measure:  and  their  glory,  and  their  multitude,  and  their 
pomp,  and  he  that  rejoiceth,  shall  descend  into  it."     Also  Habak- 
kuk, ii.  5. — u  Yea  also,  because  he  transgresseth  by  wine,  he  is 
a  proud  man,  neither  keepeth  he  at  home,  who  enlargeth  his 
desire  as  hell,  and  is  as  death,  and  cannot  be  satisfied."     Now  if 
it  be  said  of  these  passages,  that  they  allude  solely  to  the  grave, 
then  those  two  prophets  have  said  no  more  than  that  the  wicked 
shall  die  a  temporal  death  ;  which,  however,  is  to  happen  also  to 
the  righteous ;  on  which  account,  hell  enlargeth  herself  as  much 
for  the  one  as  for  the  other.     It  remains,  therefore,  that  this  hell, 
which  may  be  enlarged, — may  be  thus  enlarged  by  the  accession 
of  contaminated  globes,  as  well  as  by  the  accession  of  all  the 
bodies  of  wicked  men,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  and  perdition 
of  the   ungodly,   and  not  only  of  this,    but   Gf  all    sinning 
worlds.     But  it  is  held  by  some  who  are  eminent  for  their  bibli- 
cal knowledge,  that  at  the  day  of  judgment,  the  earth  is  not  to  be 
removed  out  of  its  place,  nor  yet  annihilated,  but  is  only  to  be 
purified  by  lire,  by  being  melted  down  into  a  universal  state  of 
fusion  ;  which,  when  cooled,  is  to  be  fitted  up  into  the  New  Cre- 
ation, which  is  promised,  and  believed  will  take  place  after  the 
day  of  judgment;  yet  it  should  be  remembered,  that  a  rev  ova- 
tion is  not  a  creation — observe  the  language:  « Behold  1  make 
all  things  new?  as  is  stated  in  Rev.  xxi.  5,  and  is  far  enough,  in 
our  opinion,  from  saying,  behold  I  new  vamp,  or  new  model,  or 
repair  all  things.     In  the  same  chapter,  verse  1st,  the  complete 
removal  of  this  globe   from  its  present  situation,  is  certainly 
spoken  ofj  as  follows:  "And  I  saw  a  new  heaven,  (atmosphere,) 
and  a  new  earth,  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were 
passed  away,  and  there  was  no  more  sea."     Isaiah  speaks  of  this 
same  thing,  chap.  lxv.  17,  ;-  For  behold,  I  create  new  heavens 

14 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

and  a  new  earth,  and  the  former  shall  not  be  remembered  nor 
come  into  mind."  But  some  imagine  that  this  new  heaven  and 
new  earth,  which  are  to  supplant  the  first  heaven  and  earth,  is  to 
be  nothing  more  than  the  substitution  of  the  Christian  dispensa- 
sation  for  that  of  the  Jewish.  This,  however,  to  us  seems  im- 
possible ;  because  the  peculiar  phraseology  of  the  prophet  Isaiah, 
precludes  such  a  sense.  And  what  is  this  peculiar  phraseology  ? 
see  a  part  of  the  quotation  again,  which  is  here  included  in 
brackets,  ["and  the  former  heavens  and  earth  shall  not  be 
remembered,  nor  come  into  mind."] 

Now  Christianity  has  been  established  in  the  world  more  than 
eighteen  hundred  years,  yet  the  Jewish  law  and  religion  are  not 
forgotten,  nor  gone  out  of  mind,  but  are  constantly  brought  to 
view  in  all  the  world,  where  the  religion  of  the  Bible  is  taught ; 
and  will  continue  so  to  be  as  long  as  time  endures,  and  in  fact 
is  a  part  of  Christianity,  as  it  gives  rise  and  authority  to  the  New 
Testament  itself.  The  Revelator  is  no  less  peculiar  in  his  phra- 
seology, or  language,  on  this  thing  than  Isaiah  is ;  for  observe 
the  last  line,  in  brackets,  of  the  1st  verse  of  chapter  xxi. :  "  For 
the  first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away,  [and  there 
was  no  more  sea"  or  ocean.]  A  religious  or  civil  dispensation 
has  no  ocean  or  sea  attached  to  it,  nor  can  such  things  be  used 
as  figures  in  reference  to  them ;  on  which  account  we  here  learn 
witlf  certainty,  that  the  earth,  and  the  matter  of  which  it  con- 
sists, is  to  be  taken  away ;  not  annihilated,  but  removed  out  of 
its  orbit,  and  cast  into  hell.  But  if  there  remains  yet  a  doubt 
respecting  such  a  conclusion,  we  bring  St.  Peter,  in  his  2d  Epis- 
tle, ii.  5,  to  remove  it  altogether :  who  says  that  the  same  world 
that  was  overflowed  by  water,  at  the  time  of  Noah's  deluge,  "  is 
now  kept  in  store,  reserved  unto  fire  against  the  day  of  judg- 
ment and  perdition  of  ungodly  men." 

Now  we  ask  Universalists,  who  make  such  a  mock  of  the 
orthodox  opinions,  about  a  day  of  judgment,  and  the  burning  of 
the  globe  at  that  time ;  if  all  the  judgment  day  St.  Peter  meant  in 
that  Scripture  was  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans, 
how  is  it  that  he  has  spoken  of  them  as  having  been  drowned  in 
a  flood  ?  and  besides,  how  is  it  that  a  dispenaation  can  be  wet,  or 
overflowed  by  water  ?  At  the  time  of  Noah,  the  Jews  did  not 
exist,  and  therefore  the  xcorld  which  was  destroyed  by  its  waters, 
was  not  that  of  the  Jewish  dispensation,  but  is  the  very  world  on 
which  we  live,  the  earth,  which  is  now  kept  in  store  nnto  fire, 
&c. ;  and  has  nothing  to  do,  nor  ever  had  any  thing  to  do,  with 
the  Jewish  nation  or  religion.  In  agreement  with  this  very  idea 
about  the  end  of  the  world,  as  above  stated,  by  St.  Peter,  see  the 
I02d  Psalm,  25,  26,  «  Of  old  thou  laid  the"  foundation  of  the 
earth,  and  the  heavens  (atmosphere)  are  the  works  of  thy  hands. 
They  shall  perish  ;  but  thou  (God)  shalt  endure ;  yea,  all  of 
them  shall  wax  old,  like  a  garment,  as  a  vesture  shalt  thou 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  223 

change  them,  and  they  shall  be  changed."  This  was  spoken  of 
the  literal  world  or  earth,  because  he  says  the  Lord  of  old  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  earth,  this  mundane  system,  but  it  shall 
perish.  This  is  still  more  plainly  stated  by  St.  Peter :  "  But  the 
day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which 
the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  the  earth  also,  and  the  works  that 
are  therein,  shall  be  burned  up,"  and  according  to  the  Revelator, 
be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone ;  when  there  shall 
succeed  a  new  heaven  and  a  7iew  earth,  which  will  occupy  the 
same  region  of  space  which  now  occupies  the  space  of  the  solar 
system,  wherein  shall  dwell  righteousness,  or  holy  beings,  with- 
out end,  and  is  to  be  a  new  creation,  but  not  a  mere  renovation. 

Having  thus  far  treated  on  a  number  of  curious  matters,  as 
that  of  the  animal  called  the  Nachash,  of  the  creation  of  the 
angels,  their  fall,  the  origin  of  sin,  the  peculiar  mode  of  their  trial, 
location  of  heaven  and  hell,  place  of  confinement  of  the  souls  of 
the  wicked  dead,  removal  of  this  globe  to  give  place  to  another, 
for  other  purposes,  with  many  other  subjects  arising  out  of  them ; 
we  now  hasten  to  an  aocount  of  the  operations  of  Satan  with  the 
heads  of  our  race,  in  producing  their  fall ;  and  to  give  further 
evidence  that  Satan  with  his  angels  are  real,  and  not  imaginary 
beings,  as  Universalists  seem  to  believe. 

END   OF   THE    FIRST    PART. 


HISTORY  OP  SATAN, 


AND 


PROOFS    OF    THE    EXISTENCE 


OF 


DEVILS   AND   EVIL   SPIRITS 


THEREWIH  ;    INTENDED  AS  A  REFUTATION  OF  THE 

MAIN   POINTS   OF  UNIVERSALIST  THEOLOGY, 

NAMELY,  THAT  THERE  IS  NO  HELL,  NO 

DEVIL,    NOR    DAY    OF    JUDGMENT. 


PART     SECOND. 


By    JO  SI  AH    PRIEST, 

Antltor  of  the  Christian  Millenium,  American  Antiquities,  <$*'•  *\t. 


ALBANY: 

PRINTED     BY     J.     MUNSELL, 
JTo,  58  Stmte  Street. 

1837. 


HISTORY  OF  SATAN,  &C. 

PART    SECOND. 


An  account  of  the  operations  of  Satan  with  the  heads  of  our 
race,  Adam  and  Eve,  in  producing  their  fall ;  with  further 
evidence  than  is  produced  in  the  first  volume,  of  the  exis- 
tence of  Devils  and  Evil  Spirits,  who  have  a  literal  and 
pcrsotial  existence,  accord  big-  to  the  Scriptures  as  we  under- 
stand them,  and  as  understood  by  Oort/wdox  Christians 
throughout  the  World. 

That  there  is  such  a  being  as  is  called  Satan,  Devil,  Serpent, 
Old  Serpent,  Evil  One,  Destroyer,  Accuser,  Apolyon,  Abad- 
don and  Evil  Spirit,  we  proceed,  in  this  second  part  of  the 
work,  further  to  prove,  from  the  holy  Scriptures,  but  more  par- 
ticular from  the  New  Testament ;  and  shall  show,  that  he,  as 
well  as  his  associate  evil  spirits,  are  real  beings,  and  not  imag- 
inary ones ;  or  at  most  as  some  believe,  are  nothing  more  than 
diseases  of  the  body  and  mind,  the  images  of  the  heathen,  and 
evil  principles  or  passions  of  the  human  soul.  In  the  book  of 
Genesis,  the  oldest  writing  now  in  existence,  3d  chapter  1st 
verse,  is  found  the  first  intimation  of  the  existence  and  character 
of  Satan,  who  is  there  brought  to  view  under  the  name  of  the 
Nachash ;  which  word  is  erroneously  translated,  both  in  the 
Greek  and  the  English,  as  we  have  shown  on  the  first  pages  of 
the  first  part  of  this  work.  The  reason  this  name,  Nachash, 
was  given  by  Moses  to  this  evil  spirit,  the  head  of  all  evil  being*, 
was  because  he  entered  into  the  mental  and  physical  powers  of 
;i  certain  animal  known  to  Moses  by  that  name,  or  (as  it  is  in  the 
Arabic,  which  at  that  time  was  the  same  with  the  Hebrew,'} 
K-ha-noos,  and  meant  the  Orang-outang — for  the  purpose  of 
attempting  to  deceive  our  first  mother,  with  respect  to  that  which 
God  had  forbidden  her.  That  this  spirit,  so  entering  into  the 
organs  of  that  animal,  and  who,  by  that  means  misledthe  mind 
of  Eve,  was  Satan,  the  chief  of  the  fallen  angels,  we  think  we 
prove  by  the  following  argument  and  Scripture.  And  to  com- 
mence, see  Rev.  xii.  9,  "And  the  great  dragon  was  ciist  out.  thai 
old  serpent  (or  K-ha-noos)  called  the  devil  and  Satan,  which 
deceiveth  the  whole  world ;  he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and 
his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him."     Here  in  this  Scripture  by 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

St.  John,  who  well  understood  the  meaning  of  the  term  K-ha- 
itoosj  in  the  Hebrew,  or  ancient  Arabic,  as  it  related  to  a  being 
of  an  intellectual  and  spiritual  nature,  has  mentioned  two  other 
names  or  appellations  by  which  he  is  known,  as  that  of  Satan 
and  devil,  which  belonged  to  this  being ;  and  as  determining 
the  point  that  there  was  a  spirit  alluded  to  by  St.  John,  con- 
nected in  this  affair  of  the  serpent,  entirely  independent  of  the 
animal  called  by  Moses  the  Nachash  or  K-ha-noos ;  we  notice 
the  very  peculiar  appendage  of  the  words  old  serpent,  the  devil ; 
and  also,  that  of  his  having  angels,  or  ministers,  and  of  his  once 
having  inhabited  a  part  of  heaven.  Now  by  no  rule  of  lan- 
guage, figure  or  analogy,  can  this  account  be  understood  to  be 
descriptive,  of  either  an  animal  or  of  a  principle.  But  if  it  is  to 
be  understood  as  Universalists  teach,  namely,  that  the  words  old 
serpent,  Satan  and  devil,  signify  no  more  than  the  diseases  of 
the  body  and  mind  of  man,  we  should  like  to  know  what  disease 
it  is,  of  either  body  or  mind  which  has  angels  at  its  command  ; 
or  which  of  the  passions  have  any  of  these  extraordinary  accom- 
paniments. Or  if  the  idea  be  carried  still  farther,  and  the  idols 
and  images  of  the  heathen  are  said  to  be  this  devil  or  Satan,  and 
old  serpent :  still  a  difficulty  is  presented,  inasmuch  as  St.  John 
speaks  of  but, one  such  being  to  whom  belongs  these  appella- 
tions ;  while  the  idols  and  images  of  the  heathen  are  many, 
and  therefore  are  not  meant  by  this  description  of  the  Revelator, 
as  the  singnlar  cannot  represent  pluralities,  except  by  delega- 
tion. The  ancient  Jews,  in  their  commentaries  on  the  laws  of 
Moses,  speak  much  of  this  being,  and  of  his  personal  existence, 
and  of  his  having  been  cast  out,  with  his  troops,  from  the  place 
of  holiness,  or  heaven ;  which  opinions  go  iar  at  any  rate,  to 
prove  that  the  Jewish  Rabbins,  except  the  Sadducees,  thought 
on  this  subject  for  different  from  the  Universalist  Rabbins  of  the 
present  day,  and  is  no  small  evidence  of  the  folly  of  the  latter. 

It  is  of  no  avail  to  the  Universalists,  that  the  Sadducees,  a 
branch  of  the  Jewish  Church,  denied  the  existence  of  both  an- 
gels and  spirits  ;  for  in  Acts,  xxiii.  S,  it  is  said  that  the  Pharisees 
confessed  the  doctrine  of  the  existence  of  superhuman  angels  and 
spirits,  to  which  doctrine  St.  Paul  pointedly  subscribes  in  all 
his  writings,  and  also  in  this  book,  the  Acts.  It  is  said  of  him 
by  St.  Luke,  the  writer  of  the  book  of  Acts,  chap.  xxvi.  5,  that 
he  was  a  Pharisee  of  the  straightest  sect,  and  therefore  belivcd  in 
the  existence  of  angels  and  spirits,  both  good  and  bad.  The  Sad- 
ucees  were  more  opposed  to  Christ  than  any  other  religious  sect 
cS  the  Jews,  and  gave  the  Christian  church  more  trouble  after 
the  death  of  the  Saviour,  than  any  other.  They  were  the  Uni- 
versalists of  the  day,  and  believed  that  there  is  neither  rewards 
nor  punishments  after  death ;  but  that  men  are  rewarded  and 
punished  in  this  life,  for  the  gecd  or  evil  deeds  they  do.  But 
Pharisees  believed  in  the  existence  of  a  hell  in  etcinitv, 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  229 

whither  the  wicked  went  immediately  after  death  ;  and  this  idea 
is  no  where  contradicted  in  St.  Paul's  writings ;  hut  by  fair  infer- 
ence it  is  abundantly  established ;  that  St.  Paul  believed  this  trait 
of  the  Pharisaic  doctrine,  is  shown  when  he  declared  before 
Agrippa  that  he  was  educated  a  Pharisee,  which  peculiar  trait  he 
has  no  where  renounced,  but  confirmed  in  his  epistles. 

A  great  teacher  in  matters  of  religion  and  the  disputes  of  his 
day,  on  that  subject,  as  carried  on  between  Saducee  and  Phari- 
see, and  both  of  these  against  the  heathen,  as  St.  Paul  was,  it  is 
extremely  probable  would  have  something  to  say  against  the 
belief  of  the  existence  of  Satan  and  evil  spirits,  as  beings,  if  he 
did  not  believe  it.  Paul  was  not  a  man  that  was  afraid  to  make 
inroads  upon  old  established  opinions;  if  such  opinions  were  not 
agreeable  to  the  truth,  as  is  seen  in  all  his  doings,  wherever  he 
went  preaching  the  gospel.  Now  if  the  belief  in  the  personal 
existence  of  devils  and  of  Satan,  was  but  a  branch  of  the  ancient 
Persian  religion,  derived  from  the  mere  imaginations  of  their 
idolatrous  priests,  how  is  it  that  St.  Paul  has  not  corrected  and 
exploded  it  ?  The  circumstance,  therefore,  of  his  not  having 
done  this,  is  a  powerful  proof  that  he  admitted  the  doctrine.  And 
that  he  did  admit  the  doctrine,  is  shown  from  his  casting  out  the 
spirit  of  divination,  or  familiar  spirit,  which  was  in  the  soul  of 
a  certain  damsel  at  Phillippi — see  Acts,  xvi.  IS — by  which 
means  she  immediately  lost  her  extraordinary  power  to  reveal 
secrets,  and  by  which  her  owners  lost  their  income.  Nothing  is 
clearer,  therefore,  than  that  St.  Paul  did  believe  with  all  his 
heart,  just  what  Universalists  as  heartily  deny,  with  respect  to 
the  real  personal  existence  of  evil  spirits. 

By  the  terms  old  serpent,  the  devil,  &c,  St.  John  did  not  mean 
the  heathen  Roman  empire,  as  supposed  by  some  ;  as  the  Ro- 
mans did  not  adopt  the  image  of  the  great  red  dragon,  the  boa 
constrictor  of  the  tropical  deserts,  till  the  second  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  as  the  image  of  their  power,  which  they  then  began 
to  paint  on  the  standards  of  their  armies  ;  on  which  account,  the 
term  old  serpent  could  not  be  applicable  in  the  time  of  St.  John, 
even  allowing  he  was  prophesying  of  the  persecutions  of  heathen 
Rome  against  the  Christians.  It  cannot  fail  to  be  perceived  that 
it  would  have  been  exceedingly  out  of  order  for  St.  John  to  speak 
of  that  which  did  not  exist  at  his  time,  as  being  old  ;  though  the 
heathen  Romans  did  even  then  persecute  Christianity,  nor  could 
she  be  accused  of  having  deceived  the  whole  world,  although  she 
was  entirely  addicted  to  idolatry,  from  her  very  rise  as  a  nation. 
If  this  is  objected  to — and  it  is  insisted  that  her  idolatries  have 
deceived  the  whole  world — we  enquire  how  this  is  made  out, 
seeing  all  the  world,  from  Adam  till  Noah,  and  from  Noah  till 
Constan tines  time,  was  given  to  idolatry,  with  the  bare  exception 
of  one  family  before  the  flood,  and  o?*e  lineage  of  the  Jews  after? 
It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  St.  John  meant  by  the  term  old  serpent, 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Satan,  and  devil,  that  evil  spirit  which  seduced,  in  the  disguise 
of  an  animal,  our  first  mother,  the  woman  of  Paradise,  and  with 
her  that  of  the  whole  world. 

But  what  is  the  reason,  the  Revelator  has  spoken  of  this  spirit 
under  the  name  of  dragon. — great  red  dragon,  4*c,  if  it  meant 
primarily,  and  solely,  the  Roman  heathen  empire,  as  opposed  to 
Christianity  ?  We  answer :  for  the  very  same  reason  that  Moses 
has  spoken  of  him  as  being  a  Nachash,  or  an  Orang-outang — as 
we  believe  it  was.  In  the  case  of  Eve,  Moses  has  spoken  of  him 
as  being  a  Nachash,  or  K-ha-noos,  because  Satan  used  that  animal 
as  an  instrument  of  deception,  and  therefore  received  this  name  : 
so  in  the  case  of  the  heathen  Romans  ;  St.  John  calls  him  drag- 
on, because  it  was  by  the  means  of  that  great  Empire,  (the  Ro- 
mans whose  Royal  ensign,  painted  on  their  military  flags,  and 
standards  of  their  armies,  was  the  great  red  dragon  of  the  desert, 
the  boa-constrictor,)  that  Satan  instigated,  and  finally  carried  on 
a  persecution  of  nearly  three  hundred  years  against  Christianity. 
If  the  reader  will  pay  attention  to  the  arrangement  of  the  words 
of  this  verse — Rev.  chap.  xii.  9 — he  will  find  that  the  term  old, 
is  not  applied  to  the  word  dragon,  but  only  to  the  word  serpent; 
that  old  serpent,  the  devil.  The  word  dragon,  was  then  used 
only  by  anticipation  ;  as  the  circumstance  which  gave  to  Satan 
this  peculiar  and  additional  name,  did  not  exist  at  the  time  of  St. 
John ;  it  is  true,  however,  that  the  Revelator  did  foretell  the  perse- 
cutions of  the  great  red  dragon — the  heathen  Roman  empire 
against  Christianity :  but  that  this  dragon  should  be  overcome  by 
the  bloo3  of  the  Lamb,  and  himself,  with  his  nobles,  his  armies,  and 
all  his  power  should  be  cast  down,  and  be  compelled  to  give  place 
to  the  religion  of  Christ.  This  was  accomplished :  For  the 
whole  Roman  empire  was  forced  by  the  decree  of  Constantine, 
— one  of  their  Emperors,  about  three  hundred  years  after  the 
commencement  of  the  Christian  religion — to  abandon  the  wor- 
ship of  idols,  and  to  give  up  their  temples  to  the  purer  worship 
of  the  true  God.  But  in  all  this  persecution  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion, that  old  serpent,  the  devil,  who  deceiveth  the  whole  world, 
(which  cannot  be  said  of  heathen  Rome)  was  foreseen  by  the 
spirit  of  inspiration,  in  the  mind  of  St.  John,  to  be  the  sole  mover 
of  those  persecutions,  to  prevent  the  growth  of  the  religion  of 
Christ  in  the  earth,  and  if  possible,  to  exterminate  it.  But  as 
opposed  to  his  influence,  therew  as  the  providence  of  God,  in  the 
appointment  of  mighty  angels  ;  one  of  whom,  is  named  Michael, 
who,  with  his  fellows,  operated  against  the  machinations  of  the 
devil  and  his  angels,  so  that  he  could  not  prevail,  nor  save  the 
ancient  empire  of  his  rule  among  the  heathen  Romans,  from  be- 
ing supplanted  by  Christianity.  On  this  very  account,  was  it 
not  highly  consistent  for  the  spirit  of  prophecy  to  speak  of  the 
operations  of  the  old  serpent,  the  devil,  by  the  means  of  the  great 
red  heathen  dragon,  the  Romans,  and  to  state  his  defeat,  with 


ANGELS  Or  THE  SC  RIPTURES.  231 

that  of  his  angels,  other  fallen  spirits  like  himself,  and  of  their  be- 
ing cast  down  to  the  earth  from  their  place  of  honor  in  the  heathen 
temples,  as  they  were  at  the  time  of  their  first  sinning  and  being 
east  out  of  heaven  ?  Unless  we  take  this  view  of  the  subject,  we 
are  compelled  to  suppose  that  St.  John  meant  by  the  terms  old 
serpent,  the  devil,  and  Satan,  the  Roman  empire ;  which  he 
could  not,  except  it  is  viewed  as  then  under  the  direction  and 
influence  of  this  evil  spirit  and  his  angels,  for  the  purpose  of  des- 
troying Christianity.  Aud  that  the  heathen  Roman  empire  was 
under  such  influence,  we  prove  from  this  most  singular  circum- 
stance, their  opposition  to  Christianity.  Why,  we  enquire, 
should  the  Romans,  as  a  nation,  oppose  the  Christian  religion 
more  than  they  did  other  religions  of  mankind  ?  If  the  Christian 
religion,  in  their  estimation,  was  but  a  new  religion  of  the  world, 
and  perhaps  not  as  good,  or  possibly  better,  or  merely  equal, 
with  hundreds  of  others  among  mankind,  why  persecute  it,  while 
they  did  not  persecute  others,  but  were  willing  that  other  nations 
and  other  people  should  enjoy  their  way,  their  gods,  and  then* 
religion?  But  so  was  not  the  fact,  as  they  did  persecute  it, 
with  all  the  vengeance  that  law  and  bigotry,  urged  on  by  the 
malice  of  an  idolatrous,  interested  priesthood,  could  enable  them 
to  effect ;  which  effect  was  most  horrible,  as  the  souls  of  millions 
now  in  eternity,  can  and  will  witness ;  who  were  dismissed  from 
the  earth  through  blood  and  torture. 

Now  why  was  all  this  ?  why  did  the  Roman  heathen  so  per- 
secute this  religion,  and  mark  it  as  a  victim  of  vengeance  ?  this 
is  our  answer, — because  instigated  by  the  devil ;  as  Christianity 
was  of  God,  and  therefore  hateful  in  the  sight  and  estimation  of 
this  most  foul  of  all  intellectual  beings.  It  was  this  spirit  and 
his  associate  angels,  who  stirred  up  continually,  the  powers  of 
heathen  Rome,  to  accuse  both  night  and  day,  the  followers  of 
Christ,  to  the  judges  and  courts  of  heathen  ecclesiastical  law. 
But  when  the  Apostle,  St.  John,  saw  that  the  providence  of  God 
would  finally  overcome  him,  he  exclaimed,  in  anticipation — Rev. 
xii.  10 — "  Now  is  come  salvation  and  strength,  and  the  kingdom 
of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ :  for  the  accuser  of  our 
brethren  is  cast  down,  which  accused  them  before  God  night 
and  day."  This  casting  down  of  Satan,  was  effected  when  the 
religion  of  Christ  had  won  its  way  through  opposition  as  great 
and  as  terrible  as  was  possible  to  be  carried  on  by  devils  and 
men,  and  became  suddenly  the  religion  of  the  country,  with  all 
the  sanctions  of  the  law  of  the  empire.  But  without  the  instiga- 
tion of  this  spirit,  the  devil,  or  Satan,  we  aver  that  the  Romans 
would  never  have  done  it  toward  this  religion,  more  than  toward 
others,  and  to  us  is  a  powerful  argument  of  the  real  existence  of 
Satan ;  and  that  such  was  the  meaning  of  St.  John  when  he 
speaks  of  him  as  being  that  old  serpent,  the  devil,  and  Satan, 
who  deceiveth  the  whole  world.     It  is  this  same  evil  being,  who 


232  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

by  his  powers  and  invisible  associates,  operates  in  the  hearts  of 
all  infidels,  and  excites  the  peculiar  enmity  of  that  class  of  men, 
against  this  religion.  Were  it  not  so,  they  never  would  oppose 
it,  more  than  they  oppose  the  religion  of  the  heathen.  How  is  it 
that  those  men  cannot  look  on  the  Christian  religion  with  the 
same  indifference  as  they  do  on  the  heathen  religion  ?  since  they 
consider  them  all  alike  spurious  or  fictitious,  and  the  work  of 
pristcraft  only.  They  consider  them  all  as  impositions  alike ; 
yet  they  single  out  the  Christian  religion  from  all  the  rest,  and 
make  war  upon  it,  by  sword  and  pen,  to  exterminate  it.  Now 
this  is  altogether  unaccountable,  except  it  is  explained  on  the 
principle  of  Satanic  influence  ;  as  the  priesthood  of  Christianity 
cannot  be  accused  of  any  thing  more  than  deception,  which  in 
them,  were  it  even  true,  is  no  worse  than  the  priests  of  pagan- 
ism ;  and  yet  these  men  are  found  even  to  applaud  paganism, 
and  to  prefer  it.  This  circumstance  proves,  in  our  mind,  the 
fact  of  the  existence  of  Satan,  who  as  the  Scripture  saith,  worketh 
in  the  hearts  of  the  children  of  disobedience. 

But  as  promised  at  the  outset  of  this  second  part  of  the  work, 
we  proceed  further  to  prove  the  being  of  the  devil,  chiefly  from 
the  New  Testament.  But  before  we  enter  upon  this  book  of 
Scripture  further  than  already  done,  we  will  examine  again,  but 
briefly,  the  famous  3d  chapter  of  Genesis  on  this  subject.  In 
that  chapter,  it  is  stated  that  the  serpent  held  a  strange,  yet  inter- 
esting conversation  with  the  first  woman,  in  which  he  led  her  to 
believe  that  if  she  tasted  the  fruit  of  that  forbidden  tree,  no  evil 
could  happen  to  her,  but  rather  a  positive  good  would  certainly 
be  the  result,  as  that  her  eyes  should  be  opened,  &c.  This  must 
have  been  the  devil,  that  fallen  angel,  who  promised  her  this 
increase  of  knowledge,  as  there  was  no  other  creature  who  could 
have  done  it. 

Is  it  to  be  believed  that  Eve  imagined  in  and  of  herself,  that  the 
bare  circumstance  of  eating  a  few  berries  of  a  certain  tree,  could 
give  her  the  desired  knowledge  of  which  she  was  in  pursuit  ? 
yet  so  she  seems  to  have  supposed ;  for  it  is  said  of  her,  that 
when  she  saw,  or  believed,  not  only  that  the  fruit  was  good  to 
eat,  but  to  make  one  wise,  she  did  eat.  Herein  lay  the  deception ; 
for  how  could  she  have  imagined,  except  under  the  influence  of 
a  delusion,  that  the  bare  cirumstance  of  eating  could  make  her 
wise  ?  But  Universalists  are  equally  deceived  with  Eve  in  this 
matter,  when  they  imagine  that  the  mere  desire  to  taste  that 
fruit — which  desire  they  say  was  the  identical  serpe?it — for 
how  can  they  suppose  that  desire  to  have  been  capable  of  fore- 
telling what  the  effect  would  be  to  her  in  a  moral  point  of  light, 
as  it  certainly  did,  if  there  was  no  foreign  evil  being  engaged  in 
the  affair.  Appetites  cannot  reason— cannot  foretell — cannot 
prophesy — cannot  teach  theology — cannot  instruct  in  things  of 
moral  philosophy — as  possessed  by  Eve  or  any  other  creature  of 
the  whole  earth  ;  yet  we  are  to  believe  this,  if  Universalists  are 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  233 

correct  in  the  interpretation  of  the  temptation  of  our  mother 
Eve  ;  for  they  say  it  was  her  appetites  which  told  her  all  these 
things.  But  there  is  another  difficulty  which  presents  itself  on 
the  idea  of  Eve's  appetites  having  been  this  serpent — which  is, 
that  she  is  shown  to  have  exceeded  her  own  powers  by  her  own 
abilities,  which  is  an  absurdity.  This  is  shown  in  her  argu- 
ment about  tasting  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree,  when  she  tells 
herself,  as  Universalists  will  have  it,  that  if  she  should  but  taste, 
it  would  giver  he  a  knowledge  of  moral  evil ;  a  thing,  of  which 
she  could  not,  in  her  then  conditon,  had  any  conception  of ;  for 
if  she  had,  the  purity  of  her  mind  must  have  rejected  it  rather 
than  desired  it.  If  the  reader  will  but  notice,  he  will  perceive 
when  the  serpent  told  her  that  by  its  taste  she  should  know  both 
good  and  evil,  that  her  conclusion  was,  as  it  was  good  to  make 
one  xoise,  was  a  sufficient  reason  why  she  should  eat  of  it ;  but 
not  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  moral  evil,  but 
moral  good,  and  to  become  as  the  gods,  the  angels  whom  she 
knew  were  good.  The  knowledge  of  moral  evil  by  experience, 
is  not  a  good  ;  and  when  the  serpent — that  is,  her  own  passion, 
appetite  and  mind,  as  Universalists  will  have  it — prophesied  that 
to  do  otherwise  than  she  was  commanded  to  do  by  her  Creator, 
would  obtain  this  great  wisdom  •;  and  in  so  doing  lied  to  her  ;  or 
in  other  words,  she  lied  against  herself;  by  which  she  is  shown  in 
a  horrible  light,  and  would  seem  rather  to  have  been  created  by 
the  devil  than  by  a  good,  wise,  and  almighty  being ;  as  the 
whole  tendency  and  essence  of  her  nature  and  character  was 
evil,  and  that  continually  and  radically  so. 

But  the  procedure  of  the  Divine  Being  on  that  occasion — the 
account  of  which  is  given  by  Moses — entirely  establishes  the 
fact,  that  he  entered  into  judgment  with  four  distinct  beings. 
The  four  beings  with  whom  he  entered  into  judgment,  were  as 
follows  :  First  with  Adam,  second  with  Eve,  third  with  the  ser- 
pent, or  Nachash,  and  fourth  with  Satan,  who  had  used  the  Na- 
chash  as  an  instrument  on  that  occasion.  In  arraigning  these 
four  beings,  the  Lord  God  pursued  the  following  order  :  First,  he 
commenced  with  the  man,  by  calling  him — as  it  is  likely  he  had 
been  wont  to  do  at  other  times,  when  he  chose  to  be  conversant 
with  him.  But  from  the  singular  behaviour  of  Adam,  in  his  be- 
ing hidden,  as  he  now  foolishly  imagined  from  the  presence  of  God, 
proves  that  he  was  self-convicted,  which  instantly  introduced  the 
inquisition  which  took  place: — "hast  thou  eaten  of  the  tree 
wherof  I  commanded  thee  that  thou  shouldst  not."  But  Adam's 
reply — thanks  be  to  the  atonement ! — was  not  to  deny  it,  but  to 
confess  ;  which  confession,  we  can  scarcely  doubt,  was  a  glim- 
mering in  the  heart  of  Adam,  of  that  gracious  and  restored  con- 
dition, called  initial  salvation,  and  has  reached  the  condition  of 
every  human  soul.  Adam  confessed,  but  said:  "the  woman 
whom  thou  gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

did  eat."  Second :  Then  "  the  Lord  said  unto  the  woman,  what 
hast  thou  done  ?  And  the  woman  said  :  the  Nachash  beguiled 
me,  and  I  did  eat.  And  the  Lord  God  said  unto  the  Nachash, 
or  K-ha-noos ;  because  thou  hast  done  this,  thou  art  cursed 
above  all  cattle,  and  above  every  beast  of  the  field :  upon  thy  belly 
shalt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat  all  the  days  of  thy  life." 
Thus  far,  we  perceive  that  three  of  the  culprits  have  been  dis- 
tinctly noticed  :  but  now,  says  the  Universalist,  comes  the  "  tug 
of  war,"  to  prove  the  fourth  being,  who  was  engaged  in  this  bu- 
siness ;  in  which,  if  we  succeed,  we  shall  prove  the  being  of  Sa- 
tan, a  supernatural  being,  called  also,  the  devil.  To  do  this,  we 
again  recount  the  whole  affair,  and  note  the  judgments,  as  they 
were  awarded  to  the  several  offenders.  First,  the  man;  because 
he  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  his  wife,  was  doomed  to  get  his 
bread,  in  the  sweat  of  his  face,  laboring  in  pain  and  sorrow  all 
the  days  of  his  life  ;  a  physical  calamity  to  which  he  was  not 
before  exposed, — though  he,  as  well  as  his  posterity,  were  com- 
manded before  the  fall,  to  multiply,  replenish,  and  subdue  the 
earth:  which  idea — that  of  subduing  the  earth,  carries  with 
it,  the  doctrine  that  industry  was  designed  for  the  human  race, 
even  though  they  had  not  sinned  ;  but  not  in  pain  and  sorrow,  as 
now,  but  by  gentle  labor,  as  should  have  harmonized  perfectly 
with  their  sinless  and  painless  condition. 

Second  :  the  Lord  God  turned  to  the  woman,  and  said :  be- 
cause she  had  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  the  serpent,  or  K-ha- 
noos,  that  her  sorrows  in  conception,  and  child  bearing,  should 
be  greatly  multiplied  above  that  which  it  would  have  been,  if  she 
had  not  sinned  ;  and  besides  she  was  made  subject  to  the  rule  of 
her  husband,  now  that  they  were  both  fallen  ;  which  before  her 
fall,  was  not  the  case, — as  her  purity,  goodness,  and  discretion, 
would  have  always  prevented  her  from  faults  and  errors :  on 
which  account,  rule  and  coercion,  in  relation  to  the  woman 
would  never  have  been  needed,  or  resorted  to  by  the  man. 

Third :  the  serpent  as  a  beast,  was  condemned  with  regard  to 
the  manner  of  his  going  over  the  ground,  his  food,  and  contemp- 
tibleness  among  the  animals  of  the  earth — being  rendered  cursed 
above  all  cattle. 

And  fourthly,  he  judged  the  devil — that  old  serpent,  who  is 
Satan,  the  fallen  angel — which  we  learn  from  the  nature  of  the 
judgment,  which  did  not,  and  could  not  have  applied  to  the  ser- 
pent, or  Nachash,  as  a  beast,  or  a  mere  dumb  animal,  who  had 
nothing  to  do  as  a  principal,  or  as  a  coadjutor  in  that  affair, 
being  a  mere  passive  instrument  in  the  hands  of  a  supe- 
rior. But  what  was  the  nature  of  that  judgment,  which  could 
not  have  been  applicable  to  the  K-ha-noos,  or  serpent,  as  a  beast, 
but  was  altogether  suitable  to  just  such  a  being  as  Satan,  is  eve- 
rywhere shown  to  be  in  the  Scriptures.  It  was  this :  "  I  will  put 
enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman ;  and  between  thy  seed  and 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  235 

her  seed  :  it  (the  woman's  seed,  which  was  Christ,)  shall  bruise 
thy  head,  and  (thou  Satan,)  shall  bruise  his  heel,"  in  his  death. 
The  following  is  Benson's  comment  on  this  curious  subject,  res- 
pecting this  enmity  between  the  woman  and  her  seed,  and  the 
serpent  and  his  seed  :  the  same  comment  which  for  another  pur- 
pose, we  have  fi^iven  on  the  first  pages  of  this  work — and  as  we 
think,  fully  proves  the  existence  of  Satan,  in  distinction  from  that 
of  the  serpent,  or  animal,  and  makes  out  the  fourth  being  which 
God  adjudged  at  that  time.  The  comment  is  as  follows  :  "  Thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel?  This  is  understood  of  Christ — the  seed 
of  the  woman.  His  heel,  means—; first,  his  human  nature, 
whereby  he  trod  upon  the  earth ;  and  which  the  devil,  or  old 
serpent,  (not  the  mere  animal,)  by  the  instrumentality  of  wicked 
men,  bruised  and  killed  on  the  cross.  Second :  his  people, 
members,  or  saints,  whom  Satan  in  diverse  ways,  bruises  and 
afflicts,  while  they  are  on  the  earth.  In  this  verse,  therefore,  no- 
tice is  given  of  a  perpetual  quarrel,  commencing  in  the  very 
beginning  of  time,  between  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  the  king- 
dom of  the  old  serpent,  the  devil — among  men.  War  is  here 
proclaimed  between  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and  the  seed  of  the 
serpent ;  which  seed  of  the  serpent,  is  in  the  New  Testament 
called  the  "  children  of  the  wicked  one? 

We  are  not  to  suppose  the  enmity  spoken  of  which  was  to  ex- 
ist between  the  woman's  seed  and  the  serpent's  seed,  to  consist  in 
the  mere  hatred  of  snakes,  as  there  is  no  proof  in  nature,  or  in 
the  Scriptures  that  snakes  hate  the  human  race,  any  more  than 
any  other  creature  does,  or  that  the  passion  of  hatred  or  enmity 
towards  man  exists  in  them  at  all,  or  in  any  other  beast.  But 
when  it  is  understood  of  the  devil  and  his  seed,  (wicked  human 
beings)  who  are  opposed  to  Christ  and  his  cross  bearing  seed,  the 
righteous,  then  is  there  a  meaning — a  force — a  dignity,  and  a 
truth  worthy  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  when  made 
to  mean  nothing  more  than  the  common  dislike  we  feel  at  the 
sight  of  a  snake  solely  on  account  of  its  ability  to  bite  and  kill 
by  poison ;  the  allusion  amounts  to  nothing  more  than  a  little 
trait  in  the  field  of  Zoology  or  history  of  animals,  a  wonderful 
subject  indeed  for  the  attention  of  the  eternal  mind  to  introduce  ; 
when  giving  notice  to  the  world  of  the  coming  of  his  Son  as  a 
Redeemer  in  the  fullness  of  time. 

Thus  by  showing  this  part  of  the  judgment,  which  was  pro- 
nounced on  the  serpent,  respecting  the  seed  of  the  woman,  and 
the  power  that  seed  (which  was  Christ)  should  have  to  bruise 
and  finally  to  destroy  that  serpent  the  devil;  we  show  it  impos- 
sible that  it  could  have  had  any  refference  to  any  other  being 
than  to  a  sujternatural  and  intellectual  one,  who  by  the  means 
of  an  animal  beguiled  the  first  woman  :  and  thus  we  prove  that 
God  entered  into  judgment  with  four  beings — Adam,  Eve,  the 
animal  and  the  devil. 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

But  if  the  subject  is  to  be  understood  as  Universalists  say  it 
should  be,  namely,  that  there  was  no  devil  in  the  case  except 
Eve's  passions,  animal  desires  and  appetites,  then  that  account 
may  read  as  follows — u  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  (the  devil, 
Eve's  passions)  and  the  woman,  (to  whom  these  passions  belong) 
and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed.-'  By  which  we  perceive  the 
woman  is  set  at  variance  with  herself,  even  by  her  creator,  by 
causing  a  war  to  be  excited  between  her  passions,  appetites  and 
mind,  and  herself— as  if  her  body,  mind  and  passions  were  dis- 
tinct beings,  when  we  know  they  were  united  in  one.  "It  (her 
seed,  Christ)  shall  bruise,  (the  serpent's  head,  which  is  also  hers) 
thy  head,  and  thou  (the  woman's  seed)  shalt  bruise  his  heel ;"  by 
which  mode  of  reading  we  perceive  the  whole  matter  is  worse 
than  nonsense  on  the  ground  that  the  serpent  which  misled  and 
beguiled  the  woman,  was  the  woman  herself.  If  this  is  so,  then 
indeed  the  Divine  Being  entered  into  judgment  on  that  occasion 
with  but  two  beings,  Adam  and  Eve  alone.  But  four  beings 
were  judged,  and  the  fourth  was  judged  more  severely  than  all 
the  others  ;  which  was  that  Christ  should  in  the  fullness  of  time 
come  into  the  world  to  destroy  both  the  works  of  this  fourth  be- 
ing and  the  being  himself  in  hell.  The  view  which  Universal- 
ists take  of  this  subject,  namely,  to  deny  there  was  any  super- 
natural being  engaged  in  deceiving  Eve,  deny  of  necessity  that 
this  seed  of  the  woman,  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  to  bruise  the 
serpent's  head,  was  ever  to  come  into  the  world  at  all ;  as  the 
thing  for  which  it  is  said  he  should  come  to  accomplish,  namely, 
to  bruise  and  destroy,  never  existed ;  except  we  say  that  thing 
was  the  human  nature  of  Eve  and  of  her  posterity.  And  what 
does  this  amount  to  ?  why,  that  Christ,  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
was  coming  into  the  world  to  bruise  his  own  works,  (the  human 
nature  of  Eve  and  her  children,)  on  which  account  she  was 
doomed  to  become  her  own  destroyer  as  well  as  that  of  her  off- 
spring. This,  were  it  the  true  state  of  the  case,  were  as  bad  as 
the  fiction  of  Milton,  who  relates  that  death  which  came  into  be- 
ing in  hell  and  was  born  there  of  sin,  brought  forth  every  hour  a 
race  of  beings  which  he  calls  hell  hounds,  which  howled  as  they 
came  forth,  tearing  the  bowels  of  their  mother  death  without  pity 
or  remorse,  and  without  end. 

But  when  it  is  believed  that  a.  fourth  being,  known  in  Chris- 
tian theology  as  Satan,  who  beguiled  the  woman  and  was  to  be 
the  object  of  this  seed's  vengeance,  then  there  is  a  consistency,  a 
propriety  and  wisdom  manifest  which  is  worthy  the  eternal  God, 
and  not  otherwise.     (/See  the  Plate.) 

The  plate  shows  the  Divine  Being  in  the  attitude  of  judging 
the  culprits  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  breach  of  his  law  giv- 
en to  Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise ;  also  the  grape-tree  or  vine 
which  we  believe  to  have  been  the  forbidden  fruit. 

In  this  place  we  will  venture  a  few  remarks  on  the  manner  of 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


239 


Adam  and  Eve's  transgression,  and  of  the  forbidden  tree ;  as  some 
have  doubted  whether  it  was  literally  a  tree  and  its  fruit  which 
was  forbidden ;  but  rather  that  it  was  connubial  enjoyment.  But 
the  folly  of  this  notion  appears  from  the  manner  in  which  the 
transgression  proceeded.  Eve  it  appears,  first  and  alone,  ap- 
proached, plucked  olf  and  eat  of  the  fruit  of  that  tree,  without  the 
concurrence  or  knowledge  of  Adam  at  all. 

Is  it  good  sense  to  suppose  God  would  have  forbidden  the  very 
and  only  means  which  himself  had  ordained  in  the  creation  of 
nature,  by  which  the  earth  was  to  be  replenished  by  inhabitants, 
making  his  own  work  the  occasion  of  sin  and  death  I  Surely  not. 
This  would  be  to  set  God  at  variance  with  himself,  his  provi- 
dence at  war  with  his  wisdom  and  holiness ;  one  kind  of  life, 
that  of  animal  existence,  at  war  with  another  kind  of  life,  that  of 
moral  rectitude  ;  both  of  which  were  entirely  essential  to  human 
beings  and  human  happiness.  There  is  no  better  way  than  to 
receive  that  account  as  it  reads,  as  that  is  the  most  simple  and 
natural ;  obscurity  or  mystical  meaning  is  then  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  account  is,  that  it  was  a  tree,  and  the  fruit  of  that 
tree  which  was  forbidden,  without  similitude,  allegory,  or  hiero- 
glyphic ;  and  so  the  Jews,  in  their  traditions  and  commentaries, 
have  always  understood  it.  As  to  the  kind  of  tree,  their  tradi- 
tions state  that  it  was  the  grape,  which  grew  to  an  immense  size, 
but  winding  round  other  trees,  ascended  to  a  great  height,  over- 
shadowing the  earth  with  its  broad  leaves  and  pendant  clusters. 
This  vine,  or  tree,  was  as  proper  to  be  the  prohibited  object  or 
test  of  their  obedience  to  God,  as  any  other  thing  within  the 
range  of  the  creation  :  and  as  the  grape  is  that  kind  of  fruit  from 
which  wine  is  produced,  which  by  a  short  process  of  fermentation 
becomes  inebriating ;  who  is  prepared  to  object  that  Adam  and 
Eve  when  they  had  eat  their  fill  of  it  were  not  intoxicated  ?  as 
their  pure  and  unhackneyed  stomachs  had  never  before  received 
any  inebriating  qualities.  But  as  some  may  imagine  this  too 
wild  a  conjecture,  and  not  possible,  we  will  state  that  the  camels 
of  the  Arabs  get  intoxicated  on  green  dates,  which  in  some 
parts  of  that  country  grow  abundantly.  This  is  done  when 
they  eat  them  in  great  quantities,  and  then  drink  plentifully  of 
water,  a  fermentation  takes  place  in  the  stomach  of  the  animals, 
by  which  they  are  intoxicated,  as  if  they  had  drank  of  spirit.  If 
therefore,  such  is  the  effect  on  a  camel,  how  much  more  so  on 
human  beings,  whose  stomachs  had  been  unused  to  other  food 
than  the  soft  and  delicate  fruits  of  paradise,  but  not  of  inebriating 
qualities  like  the  grape.  And  more  than  this,  as  a  kind  of  evi- 
dence that  tiie  grape  tree  was  that  tree  of  knowledge,  we  notice 
the  fact  thattlie  produce  of  this  very  tree,  which  is  ioine,  has,  in 
the  administration  of  God's  kingdom  among  men,  been  ordained  to 
represent  the  very  blood  of  that  seed  which  was  to  come  into 

15 


240  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEST 

the  world,  and  to  bruise  by  the  atonement  the  serpent's  head, 
and  by  salvation  to  man  made  possible.  In  this  circumstance, 
God  has  taken  the  very  instrument — the  fruit  of  the  vine,  of 
which  Satan  persuaded  the  woman  to  taste— by  which  to  per- 
petuate a  remembrance  of  the  blood  of  the  cross  ;  and  to  Satan 
cannot  but  be  the  everlasting  token  of  his  guilt  and  defeat.  Any 
other  mode  of  explaining  about  the  tree  of  knowledge,  than  to 
hold  it  as  having  been  literal,  and  exactly  as  it  reads,  is  met  at 
all  points  with  difficulties  and  absurdities  insurmountable  and 
innumerable. 

But  as  to  the  particular  mode  of  Satan's  operations  on  the 
mind  of  Eve,  when  he  misled  and  deceived  her,  we  shall  now 
venture  some  ideas,  and  if  possible,  ascertain  how  he  could  ap- 
proach a  mind  which  was  so  pure  and  innocent  as  was  hers,  and 
induce  it  to  sin  against  that  one  and  only  law  of  God  that  was 
known  to  her ;  or  in  other  words — so  as  to  accommodate  the 
Universalist's  opinion — enquire  how  she  could  have  so  seduced 
and  deceived  herself;  there  being,  as  they  say  in  that  case,  no 
other  devil  but  herself.  But  to  pursue  our  own  way  on  this  sub- 
ject— Satan,  the  serpent,  knew  well,  that  such  was  the  purity  of 
Eve's  mind,  that  she  never  would  turn  aside  of  her  own  free 
will,  and  knowingly  break  the  command  respecting  the  tree  of 
knowledge.  On  which  account  he  found  it  necessary  to  lead 
her,  if  possible,  in  pursuit  of  a  seeming  good.  A  desire  of 
knowledge,  and  especially  a  knowledge  of  God,  of  his  will  and 
his  works,  is  a  principle  essential  to  the  nature  of  angels,  and  all 
unsinning  and  unfallen  intelligences,  Adam  and  Eve  not  ex- 
cepted in  their  first  condition.  That  this  desire  was  implanted 
in  the  mind  of  Eve.  was  perceived  by  Satan,  who  had  studied 
the  make  of  her  mind  before  he  attacked  her  with  his  wiles. 
That  this  desire  of  increasing  moral  knowledge  was  embraced 
in  the  powers  of  her  mind,  we  learn  from  Moses,  who  says  that 
when  she  saw  the  tree  was  pleasant  to  the  eyes,  and  a  tree  to  be 
desired  to  make  one  wise,  she  took  of  the  fruit  and  did  eat. 
Here  the  fact  is  plainly  stated,  that  the  innocent  and  commenda- 
ble, nay,  indispensable  desire,  to  increase  in  knowledge,  was  an 
ingredient  in  the  pure  and  primeval  nature  of  unfallen  Eve. 
Upon  this  disposition  Satan  was  resolved  to  operate ;  and  if  by 
any  means  he  could  succeed  to  lead  her,  ignorantly,  beyond  the 
prescribed  limits  of  the  law-,  he  should  then,  by  so  doing,  place 
her  beneath  the  blazing  arrows  of  eternal  jvstice ;  which  as  a 
principle  knows  no  mercy ;  and  by  whose  power,  Satan  with 
his  angels,  had  been  driven  out  from  their  first  habitation  in 
heaven.  Wherefore,  in  the  glowing  colors  of  Satanic  eloquence, 
he  told  her  to  what  a  height  she  would  in  a  moment  be  exalted, 
in  additional  excellence  and  knowledge,  and  would  become  as 
the  geds,  or  as  the  angels  of  God,  were  she  but  to  taste  the  pur- 
ple clusters  of  that  extraordinary  tree.     There  is  no  doubt  but 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  241 

Satan  told  her  that  the  Divine  Being  eared  nothing  for  the  mere 

tree,  nor  its  fruit,  more  than  for  any  other  tree  and  its  fruit,  which 
was  growing  in  Paradise ;  but  that  the  divine  prohibition  was 
kindly  and  wisely  meant,  to  sharpen  and  excite  the  minds  of 
herself  and  Adam,  to  a  stronger  desire  in  the  commendable  and 
praiseworthy  pursuit  of  knowledge,  and  of  becoming  wise  ;  and 
that  their  Creator  would  be  delighted  at  such  an  instance  of  per- 
severing research  in  his  creatures.  It  is  also  highly  probable 
that  Satan  extolled  the  power  of  that  fruit,  as  Milton  conjectured, 
on  account  of  its  great  benefit  to  himself;  who  from  a  mere 
brute,  destitute  of  the  reasoning  faculty,  had,  from  a  bare  taste, 
as  he  accidentally  had  strayed  beneath  its  branches,  been  sud- 
denly exalted  in  liis  mind  to  that  of  an  intellectual  creature  ;  and 
superadded  to  this,  had  received  the  power  of  speech,  or  of  vocal 
language  like  herself;  whereas,  before  he  was  but  a  dumb  ani- 
mal, capable  only  of  a  mere  yell  or  cry.  If  then  so  great  a 
change  has  passed  upon  me,  said  the  animal,  from  a  mere  taste 
of  its  fruit,  how  much  more,  therefore,  will  its  virtue  exalt  one 
who  is  by  nature  immensely  higher  than  I  am ;  and  will  cause 
you  in  a  moment  to  become  as  the  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil. 
Believing  this  tale,  Eve  doubted  not  but  her  Creator  must  ap- 
prove of  the  act,  as  by  it  his  creature  would  become  wiser  ;  and 
therefore,  she  ventured  beneath  its  purple  clusters,  filled  with  the 
wine  of  Paradise  ;  the  grapes  of  which  were  larger  and  more  rich 
in  flavor  than  the  grapes  of  Canaan,  carried  from  thence  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  spies,  to  the  camp  of  Moses,  in  the  desert ;  which 
was  the  fruit  of  the  land  of  ancient  promise.  She  now,  without 
doubt  or  fear,  put  forth  her  adventrous  hand,  and  took  from  the 
branches,  among  the  thick  boughs  of  that  luxuriant  tree,  a  grape 
as  large  as  an  apple,  and  with  her  lips  pressed  out  the  luscious 
juice,  which  to  her  taste  surpassed  all  the  fruits  of  the  garden ; 
so  that  another,  and  another  still,  was  gathered  to  her  taste,  with 
increasing  and  inordinate  appetite,  as  she  was  now  falling,  till 
she  became  satiated  and  inflamed  from  its  inebriating  power. 

Thus  her  crime  was  finished,  the  law  was  broken,  its  penalty 
incurred,  and  all  from  an  improper  and  untimely  pursuit  of  an 
increase  of  knowledge ;  not  doubting  but  she  was  doing  that 
which  her  Maker  would  approve  ;  and  not  from  any  depravity  of 
nature,  or  tendency  thereto  ;  as  a  desire  of  knowledge  is  certain- 
ly a  virtue  in  angels  and  men,  and  accordingly  must  have  been 
in  Eve,  before  her  fall.  We  now  appeal  to  the  candid,  if  this 
view  of  the  sin  of  Eve,  does  not  effectually  clear  the  Almighty 
from  having  created  this  first  woman  with  such  dispositions  of 
mind  as  should  inevitably  cause  her  to  sin,  independently  of  a 
tempter,  who,  according  to  the  account,  beguiled  and  misled  her 
mind.  The  circumstance  of  her  being  deceived,  argues  no  cor- 
ruption or  depravity  of  her  nature— to  which  we  think  there  can 
be  no  dissent — as  the  most  innocent  and  pure  of  the  human  race 


242  HISTORY    OF   THE    FALLEN 

are  liable  to  be  misled  and  deceived.  It  may  be  said,  however, 
that  if  God  had  not  implanted  within  her  mind  a  love  of 
knowledge,  that  she  would  not  have  been  misled  by  a  tempter 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  command.  But  to  this  it  is  replied,  that 
if  he  had  not  made  her  at  all,  neither  would  she  have  been  mis- 
led :  and  therefore  it  might  as  well  be  said  that  God  was  the 
cause  of  her  sinning,  inasmuch  as  he  created  her — as  that  he 
implanted  within  her  spirit  a  love  of  knowledge,  and  this  love  of 
knowledge  was  the  real  cause  of  her  ruin.  Her  love  of  knowl- 
edge was  not  the  cause,  in  any  sense  it  can  possibly  be  viewed  ; 
but  the  deceiver  was  the  cause,  and  none  other. 

But  was  not  the  case  of  Adam  different  from  that  of  his  wife  ? 
of  whom  it  is  said  by  St.  Paul — 1st  Timothy,  ii.  14 — that  Adam 
was  not  deceived,  but  the  woman  only.  If  then  he  was  not  de- 
ceived, or  in  any  way  misled  or  deluded,  and  by  stratagem  drawn 
on  to  his  ruin  as  Eve  was,  how  is  it  to  be  made  out  that  Ms  offence 
and  sin,  did  not  proceed  from  a  previously  depraved  and  corrupt 
nature  ?  it  is  to  be  made  out  as  follows,  as  we  imagine.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  but  Adam  loved  his  wife  exceedingly,  and  with 
a  strength  and  fervor  excelling  the  highest  degrees  of  the  pas- 
sion, as  it  now  exists  in  the  human  breast ;  for  then  it  was 'as 
tender  as  intellectual ;  a  love  which  knew  no  second  among  the 
works  of  God.  This  we  learn  from  his  own  lips,  (and  who  has 
not  loved,)  when  he  said  on  first  beholding  her,  as  he  received 
her,  new  and  glorious,  from  the  hand  of  the  Creator :  "  This 
now  is  bone  of  my  bone,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh. "  On  which 
account  it  was  added,  "  Therefore  shall  a  man  leave  his  father 
and  his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife  f  and  shows  how 
closely  his  soul  was  mingled  with  hers,  in  the  bond  of  love,  as 
united  by  the  author  of  every  good  and  perfect  gift.  But  when  he 
saw  that  his  Eve — while  he  had  been  by  some  means  separated 
from  her — had  visited  the  forbidden  tree ;  knew  that  she  had 
sinned,  as  there  hung  from  her  arm  a  rich  branch  of  its  fruit ; 
her  lips  and  her  fingers  being  deeply  stained  with  the  red  juices 
of  that  fruit,  which  she  had  partaken  of.  That  she  was  fallen, 
he  also  knew,  from  her  altered  manners ;  as  a  boldness  of  ad- 
dress, hitherto  unknown,  marked  her  demeanor ;  while  the  fluen- 
cy of  her  speech,  poured  forth  in  raptures,  in  praise  of  her  dis- 
covery, as  she  ran  in  her  vehemence  to  the  arms  of  Adam, 
persuading  him  to  partake  with  her,  that  he  too  might  ascend 
and  be  equal  to  the  gods.  But  to  Adam's  as  yet,  unobscured 
perception,  every  moment  was  big  with  horror;  but  not  for 
himself,  as  he  expected  soon  to  see  visited  upon  her  the  dread- 
ful penalty  of  death,  when  he  should  be  bereft  of  all  he  loved 
beneath  the  heavens.  He  gazed  intensely,  as  an  angel  gazes  on 
the  newly  fallen ;  her  image  was  so  fair,  and  to  him  so  dear ; 
while  she  still  plead,  and  pressed  to  his  lips  the  bolt  of  death,  in 
the  form  of  a  deep  rich  grape,  he  felt  that  he  could  not  be  parted 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  243 

from  her.  Then  a  flash  of  God's  law  darted  athwart  his  sight,, 
while  still  the  music  of  her  voice,  in  strains  of  more  than  moFtaJ 
eloquence,  filled  his  ear,  in  praise  of  the  virtues  of  that  tree  ; 
which  was,  as  she  imagined,  swiftly  working  in  her  the  pro- 
mised change.  But  Adam  saw  her  doom,  from  which  his  arm 
could  not  deliver  her ;  and  to  be  thus  torn  asunder,  never 
more  to  see  her  image,  nor  to  hear  her  voice,  was  more  than  his 
noble  heart  could  bear ;  and  though  death  must  be  his  doom, 
yet  his  love  for  her  was  stronger  than  the  fear  of  death,  which 
many  waters  could  not  drown  ;  resolved  therefore,  to  accompany 
her  even  through  the  shades  of  death,  as  from  her  he  took  the  fatal 
grape,  and  eat  his  fill.  And  now  they  were  in  equal  condem- 
nation ;  a  condition  into  which  he  had  voluntarily  entered  ;  not 
from  depravity,  or  discontent  with  his  situation,  but  from  an 
exalted  and  almost  superhuman  love  and  sympathy  ;  a  holy  and 
heavenly  passion,  which  even  an  angel  of  heaven  cannot  lack, 
and  not  be  deficient  in  goodness  and  excellence. 

Thus  were  the  circumstances  of  their  fall,  as  we  believe  ;  the 
woman  from  being  misled  respecting  the  way  of  becoming  wiser, 
and  the  man  from  his  exceeding,  yet  innocent  love  of  his  wife  ; 
both  heavenly  affections,  implanted  in  their  natures  by  the  Crea- 
tor, who  pronounced  them  very  good  when  he  gave  them  first 
their  being.  There  is  no  doubt  but  Eve  was  tried  apart  from 
her  husband,  while  from  some  unknown  cause  he  was  absent 
from  her ;  for  if  he  had  been  present  when  Eve  was  decei- 
ved, he  would  have  resisted  the  arguments  of  the  devil, 
who,  on  that  occasion,  was  in  the  disguise  of  an  animal:  yet  if 
it  had  so  been,  could  have  been  no  trial  of  Eve,  as  it  was  neces- 
sary that  she  should  be  tried  as  well  as  Adam.  As  to  Satan,  the 
moment  he  had  succeeded  with  the  woman,  he  left  the  body  of 
the  K-ha-noos,  which  returned  to  its  former  habits,  and  knew 
not  that  it  had  been  made  an  instrument  of  the  ruin  of  the  whole 
human  race,  and  even  of  procuring  a  curse  on  both  itself  and  the 
earth. 

But  here,  it  would  seem,  a  question  may  arise,  whether,  if  they 
had  not  been  thus  tried,  they  would  have  sinned  and  fallen  from 
their  innocence  and  first  condition,  in  which  they  were  made? 
If  we  say  no,  they  would  not,  how  then  is  the  Divine  Being  to 
be  cleared  of  being  the  cause  of  their  fall,  inasmuch  as  he  willed 
their  trial  after  some  sort  or  other  ?  If  man  had  not  been  sub- 
jected to  a  trial,  or  probation,  under  such  circumstances  as 
should  preclude  from  his  knowledge  at  the  time  (but  not  after- 
wards) th3  reason  of  sUeh  trial,  the  virtue  and  exercise  of  the 
most  glorious  trait  of  intellectual  being — that  of  free  agency  and 
free  will — could  never  have  been  manifest  to  men  nor  angels ; 
out  of  which  an  endless  succession  of  happiness  was  to  arise ; 
which  could  never  have  been  developed  in  any  other  way.  The 
abuse  of  free  agency  is  sin  ;  and  free  agency  possessed  by  any 


g  14  HISTORY    OF   THE    FALLEN 

being,  and  that  free  agency  not  tested  or  tried,  would  be  the 
same  as  no  free  agency  at  all ;  and  no  free  agency  at  all  would 
be  the  exact  condition  of  animals  ;  whose  free  will  is  but  little 
more  than  instinct,  not  guided  by  reason,  on  which  account 
animals  cannot  sin.  Man's  being  subjected  to  a  trial,  was  not, 
therefore,  the  cause  of  sin  ;  the  abuse  or  pervertion  of  a  free- 
dom of  action  was  the  sin,  and  the  cause  of  sin  ;  both  of 
which  sprung  into  being  at  the  same  instant,  neither  having 
the  priority,  as  the  abuse  was  sin,  and  sin  was  the  abuse  of 
that  high  faculty,  both  in  men  and  angels.  But  then,  is  not 
free  agency  the  cause  of  sin  ?  we  answer  no ;  as  without  it 
man  could  not  have  been  man,  nor  could  angels  have  been 
angels,  in  the  virtuous  and  intellectual  sense  of  the  word. 
We  might  as  well  say  that  our  being  was  the  cause  of  sin,  as 
to  say  our  free  agency  was  the  cause  ;  but  when  we  say  free 
will,  wills  to  abuse  itself,  we  make  out  that  the  will  so  de- 
creeing to  do,  is  sin  itself;  such  is  the  case  now  that  we  are 
fallen :  but  such  was  not  the  case  of  either  Adam  or  Eve  ;  as 
in  them  there  was  no  depravity,  the  gratification  of  which, 
moved  them  to  sin,  as  we  have  already  shown.  In  the  case 
of  Eve,  deception  was  the  cause  of  her  sin  ;  which  did  not 
amount,  however,  higher  than  to  a  breach  of  the  letter  of  that 
law,  as  her  will  was  not  wickedly  engaged  ;  but  instantly  on 
the  breach  of  the  letter  depravity  took  possesion  of  her  whole 
moral  nature.  The  sari  e  of  Adam;  he  did  not,  and  could  not 
have  sinned  from  depravity  prepense,  as  that  was  not  in  his 
nature  ;  but  the  moment  he  touched  the  fruit  of  that  forbidden 
tree,  even  though  moved  thereto  by  his  sympathy  for  Eve's 
condition,  and  nothing  else,  that  moment  depravity  entered 
and  possessed  his  whole  nature,  as  a  natural  consequence. 
But  the  human  race  now  sin,  as  did  Adam  himself,  as  well  as 
Eve,  after  the  commission  of  their  first  sin,  from  inherent 
depravity,  imbibed  and  engendered  by  and  from  the  moment 
of  that  first  breach  of  the  letter  of  God's  holy  law  about  the 
tree  of  knowledge. 

The  devil  then  was  the  exciting  cause  of  Eve's  sin,  and 
Eve  was  the  exciting  cause  of  Adam's  sin,  while  Satan  and 
his  angels  were  the  cause  of  their  own  sin,  and  excited  it 
themselves,  as  shown  in  the  first  parts  of  this  woik.  Well 
then,  if  God  had  not  created  angels  nor  anything  else,  there 
could  have  been  no  sin  nor  sinners  ;  this  is  granted  ;  yet  God 
is  not  the  cause  of  sin,  though  he  made  them  both  ;  as  the 
conservative  principle  of  this  thing  was  not  in  God,  but  in  the 
wills  of  the  angels,  but  not  in  Adam  nor  Eve  before  they  fell, 
as  they  could  not  will  to  sin,  understandingly,  as  did  the 
angels,  who  occupied  a  higher  condition  of  responsibility. 
But  though  the  angels  who  sinned,  willed  their  own  sin  when 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  245 

they  fell,  yet  this  is  no  evidence  that  they  were  previously 
depraved  ;  for  if  we  say  they  were,  then  they  were  made 
thus,  and  thus  sin  would  be  traced  to  God  as  its  author,  which 
would  be  blasphemy,  as  it  would  be  speaking  injuriously  of 
the  Divine  Being;  wherefore  sin  has  not  arisen  out  of  God, 
nor  yet  out  of  human  nor  angelic  free  agency,  but  out  of  a 
perversion  of  that  qualification,  as  in  the  case  of  the  sinning 
angels  ;  but  in  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve,  it  arose  out  of  a 
desire  of  knowledge  in  the  one,  and  out  of  a  superhuman  gen- 
erosity or  sympathy  in  the  other. 

But  says  one,  we  have  always  supposed  that  sorrow  and 
trouble  of  any  and  all  descriptions  is  the  result  of  guilt  and 
sin  ;  how  then  could  Adam  feel  so  acutely  on  her  account,  when 
he  at  that  time  was  as  pure  as  when  first  created  ?  This  opin- 
ion, however,  is  an  error,  as  we  can  show  that  Jesus  Christ 
did  feel,  and  acutely  feel,  by  way  of  love  and  sympathy,  for 
the  wicked  Jews,  and  for  the  whole  world,  and  yet  he  was  a 
sinless  being.  It  is  said  that  among  the  angels  in  heaven 
there  is  joy  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth  ;  which  joy,  on 
such  an  occasion,  proves  by  inference,  that  when  a  sinner 
does  not  repent  and  is  lost,  that  a  contrary  feeling  must  be 
experienced  ;  yet  they  are  unsinning  beings.  Generosity  of 
soul  is  not  to  be  excluded  from  the  bosom  of  sinless  beings 
because  they  are  sinless  ;  but  rather  is  there  to  be  found  in 
its  highest  perfection,  so  that  even  God  may  say  that  he  has 
no  pleasure  in  him  that  dieth.  Human  beings  the  most  re- 
fined, the  most  pious,  and  the  most  virtuous,  are  not  on  that 
account  to  be  excluded  from  mourning  on  the  account  of  oth- 
ers, and  of  feeling  the  holy  passion  of  love  and  sympathy  for 
those  who  sufTer,  either  by  depravity  in  any  and  all  decrees, 
or  by  temporal  calamities.  So  that  though  Adam  may  have 
sorrowed  for  his  Eve,  when  he  saw  her  fallen,  yet  it  supposes 
no  impurity  of  soul  on  his  part,  more  than  in  the  cases  above 
recounted.  But  says  one  again,  if  this  be  so,  how  can  the 
joys  of  heaven  be  complete  and  without  alloy,  when  they  may 
know  that  myriads  of  intellectual  beings  are  in  hell  on  account 
of  sin  ?  This  is  to  be  answered  in  one  of  two  ways  ;  the  in- 
habitants of  heaven,  though  they  may  possibly  feel  for  the 
sorrows  of  the  damned,  yet  such  is  their  knowledge  of  the 
justice  of  their  condition,  that  sympathy  is  harmonised  with 
the  righteousness  of  their  doom;  or,  in  the  ineffableness  of 
heavenly  happiness,  their  condition  is  forever  obliterated  from 
their  thoughts.  In  this  thing  the  benevolent  nature  of  God 
must  harmonise  with  justice  and  truth,  or  there  is  an  end  to 
his  government ;  as  all  governments,  human  or  divine,  sup- 
poses the  punishment  of  the  bad  and  the  reward  of  the  good. 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Happiness,  therefore,  arises  out  of,  and  stands  upon  the  founda- 
tion of  justice  and  truth,  even  mercy  itself  can  subsist  in  no  other 
way. 

We  will  now  enquire  what  would  have  been  the  consequence, 
if,  when  Adam  saw  that  Eve  had  sinned  and  was  fallen,*and 
was  in  instant  expectation  of  seeing  the  penalty  inflicted  upon 
her,  if  he  had  refused  to  have  partaken  with  her  of  the  prohibit- 
ed  fruit,  and  had  withstood  her  solicitations  and  remained  in  his 
first  and  innocent  condition  ?  we  ask  what  would  have  become 
of  Eve  ?  We  do  not  perceive  that  we  can  answer  this  question 
otherwise  than  by  supposing  she  must  have  then  died  and  been 
damned  instantly,  as  were  the  apostatizing  angels ;  as  it  would 
have  been  impossible  for  her  to  have  been  saved,  as  no  seed  of 
the  woman  could  have  come  into  being,  nor  have  been  exhibited, 
as  promised,  and  as  an  object  of  her  faith  to  fix  upon,  nor  to  have 
made  an  atonement  for  her  sin.  No  doubt,  this,  her  horrid  con- 
dition, just  bending  over  the  gulf  of  death,  ready  so  far  as  could 
be  known,  to  be  driven  thither  by  the  vengeance  of  an  outraged 
law,  so  wrought  upon  the  pure  mind  of  Adam,  as  moved  the 
fountains  of  his  sympathy  for  his  other  self,  that  he  could  not 
endure  to  see  her  driven  away  alone,  when  he  resolved  to  bear 
her  company,  even  to  the  gulf  of  death.  His  resolution  to  taste 
of  the  fruit,  could  not  have  arisen  from  any  discontent  with  his 
own  personal  condition,  nor  from  any  ill  will  to  the  law  of  God, 
nor  from  any  tendency  in  his  constitutional  make  thus  to  sin ; 
but  wholly  from  love  and  sympathy,  when  he  sprang  from  the 
pinnacle  of  life  down  to  the  valley  and  depths  of  death,  of  both 
temporal  and  moral  death,  and  became  exposed  to  eternal  death 
in  hell.  If  Adam  was  not  deceived  when  he  ate  of  that  fruit, 
(and  St.  Paul  says  he  was  not,)  then  it  must  have  been  as  we 
have  supposed,  that  Adam  threw  himself  away  for  the  sake  of  his 
wife,  as  no  other  cause  appears  to  us  possible.  It  will  not  do  to 
say,  that  in  the  make  and  manner  of  Adam's  spirit  or  mind,  the 
Creator  had  placed  any  one  ingredient  of  disposition,  which  by 
its  operation  should  finally  and  inevitably  eventuate  in  his  ruin  ; 
as  such  an  opinion  would  trace  the  whole  blame  to  the  Creator, 
and  to  no  other  cause.  That  love  and  sympathy  which  Adam 
had  for  his  wife,  we  dare  not  say  was  inordinate  love  ;  as  such  a 
love  would  have  been  sin,  even  before  his  fall,  which  would 
prove  him  to  have  been  already  a  depraved  being,  even  before 
he  sinned,  which  is  impossible.  It  was  done  not  in  malice,  not 
in  pride,  not  in  self  will,  not  in  contempt  of  the  prohibition,  not  in 
discontent,  nor  from  any  depravity  whatever,  either  in  body  or 
mind  ;  but  from  love,  from  pity,  from  sympathy,  from  tenderness 
of  feeling,  of  the  most  exalted  description  for  the  poor  forlorn  one, 
who  like  an  angel  in  ruins,  hung  upon  his  heartstrings  with  eyes 
beaming  in  brightness,  fixed  "upon  his,  and  seemed  to  say, 
come  O  my  Adam,  come  to  the  Gods  above  with  me ;  I  cannot 


ANGELS  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  247 

haste  away  to  those  wondrous  joys  and  know  that  thou  art  left 
alone. 

But  Satan,  her  seducer,  now  that  they  had  both  fallen,  ex- 
pected every  moment  to  have  the  hellish  joy  of  knowing  that  by 
his  cunning,  and  as  he  supposed  superior  wisdom,  two  intellec- 
tual beings  had  been  irretrievably  ruined,  by  the  advantage  he 
had  taken  of  certain  innocent  and  pure  dispositions  of  their 
minds ;  and  stood  by,  though  invisible,  to  see  their  damnation  take 
place.  But  what  was  his  consternation  and  surprise,  when  instead 
of  hearing  the  sound  of  angry  thunders  from  on  high,  saying, 
depart  ye  cursed  into  everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels  ;  he  heard  it  said — as  the  sound  thereof  rolled  through 
all  heaven,  and  descended  through  the  skies,  and  among  all 
worlds — a  ransom  is  found,  a  Redeemer  shall  come  in  the  full- 
ness of  time  ;  the  seed  of  this  very  woman,  which  thou,  O  Satan, 
hast  deceived,  shall  come,  and  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  bring 
about  the  rescue  of  the  prey,  and  thy  expulsion  from  the  earth, 
as  once  from  heaven  down  to  hell,  as  was  decreed  in  thy  fall. 

Here  we  wish  it  to  be  observed,  that  Satan,  in  the  plenitude  of 
his  wiles,  wholly  overshot  his  chief  aim,  by  secretly  influencing 
the  mind  of  Eve  to  persuade  her  husband  to  taste  the  fruit ;  as  by 
that  very  catastrophe  a  door  was  opened,  and  the  only  door  by 
which  this  seed  of  the  woman,  this  Redeemer,  who  was  to  bruise 
and  destroy  Satan  and  his  works  in  the  earth,  could  have  come 
into  the  world.  If  he  had  been  contented  to  let  Adam  alone, 
when  he  had  secured  Eve,  he  could  have  boasted  that  he  had 
destroyed  one  intellectual  being  by  the  means  of  a  certain  con- 
stitutional part  of  that  one  being's  mind,  which  God  himself 
was  the  author  of,  namely  that  of  a  desire  of  becoming  wiser7 
and  of  being  as  the  angels  of  God  ;  and  that  he  had  done  it  so 
effectually  and  so  irretrievably,  that  there  was  left  no  help — no 
way  in  which  even  the  Almighty  himself  could  rescue  her  and 
be  just.  But  God,  knowing  his  malice,  knew  that  his  aim  was 
to  ruin  them  both,  and  thatT  by  this  very  means  he  intended  to 
prevent  the  future  existence  of  the  whole  human  race  ;  suppo- 
sing that  if  he  could  but  bring  about  the  extirpation  of  that  first 
man  and  woman,  that  by  this  means  the  coming  forward  of  the 
whole  human  race  would  be  prevented,  and  therefore  the  earth 
would  be  created  in  vain,  unless  God  would  produce  another 
human  pair,  which  he  knew  was  inconsistent.  But  heaven  had 
him  in  derision  ;  for  by  this  very  act  he  ignorantly  opened  the 
only  door  of  hope  to  poor  lost  Eve  and  the  whole  human  race, 
contrary  to  his  will,  his  interest,  or  his  meaning ;  as  by  that  act 
there  was  opened  a  door  by  which  salvation  entered  ;  and  thus, 
in  the  fulness  of  his  malice,  he  baffled  his  chief  design,  which 
was  to  have  obtained  cause  of  boasting,  even  over  his  Creator. 

But   Universalist  writers   believe  that   the  whole  account  of 
man's  fall,  as  related  by  Moses,  is  but  a  beautiful  allegory  ;  be- 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

ing  in  no  part  literally  true.  They  say,  there  was  no  tree  of 
knowledge — there  was  no  creature  called  the  subtilist  beast  of  all 
the  field — there  was  no  devil  who  used  the  animal  as  a  disguise, 
there  was  no  such  conversation  between  the  animal,  the  Divine 
Being,  and  Adam  and  Eve,  about  the  forbidden  fruit ;  as  there 
was  in  fact,  no  such  fruit,  or  tree,  or  any  thing  of  the  kind — as 
all  is  an  allegory.  But  such  persons  have  forgotten  to  add,  that 
Adam  and  Eve,  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  even  the  Creator,  arc 
also  included  in  this  wonderful  allegory :  for  if  one  part  of  it  is 
not  literal,  why  should  the  other  part  be  believed  to  be  so  ?  Ac- 
cordingly, we  have  here — as  stated  by  Moses — an  account  of  an 
allegorical  Creator — an  allegorical  law — an  allegorical  Adam 
and  Eve — an  allegorical  Eden,  or  place  where  this  allegorical 
man  and  woman  were  placed — an  allegorical  tree  of  knowledge, 
— an  allegorical  beast  of  the  field,  very  subtil — an  allegorical 
death — an  allegorical  seed  of  the  woman,  which  was  to  come  into 
the  world,  to  bruise  the  allegorical  serpent's  allegorical  head,  and 
thus  produce  an  allegorical  salvation  ;  and  so  on,  with  a  world  of 
such  absurdities,  if  that  account  is  not  in  all  respects,  literally  true. 
But  whatever  Universalists  may  think,  write,  or  speak,  on  this 
subject,  we  are  able  to  show  that  the  ancient  Jews  received  this 
account  as  literal,  and  commented  on  it  as  such  ;  who  as  clearly 
and  as  definitely  believed  in  the  fall  of  man,  in  the  same  way  the 
orthodox  sects  have,  since  the  era  of  Christianity.  See  Apocry- 
pha, 2d  Esdras,  chap.  iii.  4,  7 — on  this  very  important  matter,  of 
which  Esdras  speaks,  even  in  a  prayer,  when  he  supplicated  to 
be  resolved,  in  relation  to  some  very  mysterious  matters  in  the 
Providence  of  God  ;  and  says  :  "  O  Lord,  thou  that  bearest  rule  ; 
thou  spakest  at  the  beginning,  when  thou  didst  plant  the  earth, 
(in  the  empty  space)  and  that,  thyself  alone,  and  commandest 
the  people,  (in  Adam)  and  gavest  a  body  to  Adam  without  soul, 
which  was  the  workmanship  of  thy  hands,  and  didst  breathe  into 
him  the  breath  of  life,  and  he  was  made  living  (or  as  it  is  said 
in  Genesis — a  living  soul,)  before  thee :  and  thou  leadst  him 
into  Paradise,  which  thy  right  hand  had  'planted  :  And  unto 
him  thou  gavest  a  commandment  to  love  thy  way,  which  he 
transgressed,  and  immediately  thou  appointed  death  in  him,  and 
in  his  generations :  of  whom,  came  nations,  tribes,  people  and 
kindreds,  out  of  number."  Also  in  another  place  of  the  same 
book,  chap.  vii.  48 ;  the  fact  of  Adam's  literal  fall,  is  stated  as 
follows  :  "  O  thou  Adam,  what  hast  thou  done,  that  sinned,  thou 
art  not  fallen  alone  ;  but  we  are  all  that  come  of  thee."  Also, 
in  the  book  of  Wisdom,  (Apocrypha)  we  find  the  same  doc- 
trine, as  written  by  Solomon,  ii.  24,  25  :  "  For  God  created  man 
to  be  immortal,  and  to  be  an  image  of  his  own  eternity  :  Never- 
theless, through  envy  of  the  devil,  come  death  (the  temporal 
death  of  the  body,  and  moral  death  of  the  soul)  into  the  world, 
and  they  that  do  hold  of  his  side  do  find  it ."     Here  it  is  said  by 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  240 

Esdras,  the  Jew  a  notable  doctor  of  their  law,  and  by  Solomon, 
that  death  came  by  the  devil,  who  envied  the  happy  and  exalted 
condition  of  our  first  parents,  and  therefore  procured  their  fall 
into  sin  and  death.  But  Universalists  say  that  death  temporal, 
came  by  the  course  of  nature — as  was  designed  by  the  Crea- 
tor ;  and  that  death,  moral,  or  carnal,  came  by  the  dispositions 
of  the  upright,  and  immaculate  souls  of  Adam  and  Eve,  as 
produced  by  the  Supreme  Being.  If  so,  Esdras,  as  well  as 
all  the  doctors  of  the  Jewish  law,  and  writers  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament, have  missed  it  exceedingly  ;  as  these  attribute  it  to  sin, 
and  the  devil — a  being  distinct  from  human  nature  altogether. 
Again,  in  the  book  of  Wisdom,  as  written  by  Solomon,  x.  1 — it 
is  said  :  "  She  (wisdom)  preserved  the  first  formed  (or  created) 
father  of  the  world  (Adam)  that  was  created  alone  and  brought 
out  of  his  /a//,1'  by  the  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman,  Jesus 
Christ  The  above  quotations  from  the  writings  of  ancient 
Jews,  respecting  the  literal  fact  of  Adam  and  Eve's  creation,  the 
garden  of  Paradise,  or  Eden  ;  the  tree  of  knowledge  ;  Adam  and 
Eves  natural  immortality;  the  existence,  malice,  and  envy  of 
the  devil ;  Adam  and  Eve's  fall,  by  which  death  of  all  kinds  came 
into  the  world,  and  their  redemption  by  the  seed  of  the  woman,  is  as 
plainly  stated  and  intended,  as  any  writer  since  the  invention  of 
letters,  could  express  ;  and  to  us  fully  proves  that  the  Jewish 
Church,  its  doctors,  members,  and  prophets,  did  believe  all  that 
account  given  by  Moses,  as  fully,  completely,  and  literally  true : 
which  doctrine  was  also  received  into  the  new,  or  Christian  dis- 
pensation, at  first,  and  has  been  acted  upon  ever  since,  as  such  ; 
except  by  a  few — the  same  whom  we  oppose  in  the  labor  of  this 
work — by  whose  influence  and  seductive  opinions,  semi-infidel- 
ity is  induced,  which  is  as  bad,  if  not  worse  than  a  confirmed 
state  of  deism,  in  all  ranks  of  the  people  ;  but  especially  among 
young  men,  and  the  rising  generation. 


Further  Proofs  of  the  Being  of  Satan,  and  of  his  real  Iden- 
tity, as  shown  from  the  Book  of  Job,  and  many  other  Parts 
of  Holy  Writ. 

Thus  far  in  the  second  volume  of  this  work,  we  have  treated 
upon  the  subject  of  the  operations  of  Satan  with  the  heads  of  the 
human  race,  and  upon  his  personality  and  real  being.  We 
shall  now  look  further  in  the  book  of  God,  to  learn  whether 
there  are  other  passages  which  correspond  to  this  view  of  the 
subject,  as  found  in  the  book  of  Genesis,  and  of  his  acts  as  a  real 
being ;  by  which  we  calculate  to  add  other  refutations  of  Uni- 
versalist  opinions. 


250  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

In  this  pursuit,  we  cannot  well  pass  over  the  notable  history 
of  the  acts  of  Satan  toward  a  certain  man  of  antiquity,  known  to 
Moses  as  one  of  the  princes  of  the  land  of  Uz,  or  Idumea,  a  large 
district  of  ancient  Arabia,  whose  name  was  Job,  and  nourished 
about  sixteen  hundred  years  before  the  time  of  Christ.  This 
account  the  reader  may  find,  as  written  by  Moses,  the  biogra- 
pher of  Job,  in  the  first  chapter  of  that  book,  commencing  at  the 
sixth  verse,  as  follows :  c;  Now  there  was  a  day,  (or  rather  a  time) 
when  the  sons  of  God  (the  holy  angels  of  heaven)  came  to  pre- 
sent themselves  before  the  Lord,  (according  to  the  rules  of  order 
and  law  in  use  in  eternity,  for  the  regulation  of  the  spirits,  which 
no  doubt  is  still  the  same,  taking  place  at  certain  periods,)  and 
Satan  came  also  among  them.  Now  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan, 
whence  comest  thou  ?  Then  Satan  answered  the  Lord  and  said, 
from  going  to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and 
down  in  it.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  hast  thou  consider- 
ed my  servant  Job,  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth,  (the 
whole  globe,)  a  perfect  and  upright  man,  one  that  feareth  God 
and  escheweth  (avoideth)  evil  (or  sin.)  Then  Satan  answered  the 
Lord  and  said,  doth  Job  serve  God  for  nought  7  Hast  thou  not 
made  a  hedge  about  him,  and  about  all  he  hath,  on  every  side  ? 
Thou  hast  blessed  the  work  of  his  hands,  and  his  substance  is 
increased  in  the  land.  But  put  forth  now  thy  hand,  and  touch 
all  that  he  hath  and  he  will  curse  thee  to  thy  face.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Satan,  behold,  all  that  he  hath  is  in  thy  power, 
only  upon  himself  put  not  forth  thine  hand.  So  Satan  went 
forth  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord." 

Accordingly,  as  Satan  was  so  permitted  to  do,  Job  was  soon 
ruined  as  to  worldly  possessions.  His  first  onset  was  to  excite 
a  band  of  savage  Sabeans  from  the  desert,  who  fell  in  several 
parties  upon  his  workmen  and  servants,  as  they  were  in  the 
fields  at  work,  and  soon  dispatched  them,  and  drove  away  the 
cattle,  the  asses,  camels  and  all,  to  the  wilderness  as  a  booty. 

In  another  part  of  his  possessions,  there  fell  fire  from  the 
clouds,  as  it  was  said  by  the  messenger,  who  came  running  to 
tell  Job  what  had  happened.  The  fire  of  God,  said  he,  is  fallen, 
from  heaven,  and  hath  burnt  up  the  sheep,  and  the  servants  are 
consumed,  and  I  am  escaped  alone  to  tell  thee.  But  this  messen- 
ger had  not  finished  his  tale  when  from  another  direction  there 
came  running  a  man,  who  said,  The  Chaldeans  made  out  three 
bands,  and  fell  upon  the  camels,  and  have  carried  them  away, 
yea,  and  have  slain  the  servants  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and 
I  only  am  escaped  to  tell  thee.  This  was  scarcely  told,  when 
there  came  on  full  speed  a  third  herald  of  distress,  who  said,  thy 
sons  and  thy  daughters  were  eating,  and  drinking  wine  in  their 
eldest  brother's  house  ;  and  behold  there  came  a  great  wind  from 
the  wilderness,  and  smote  the  four  corners  of  the  house,  and  it 
fell  upon  the  young  men,  and  they  are  dead,  and  I  only  am  es- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


253 


caped  alone  to  tell  thee.  (See  the  Plate,  which  shows  the  pa- 
triarch sitting,  and  at  rest  in  his  chair  of  honor,  who  as  the  first 
messenger  draws  nigh,  rises  with  alarm  to  hear  him.  In  the 
air  above  is  seen  the  devil  exciting  the  winds,  (who  is  said  by 
the  Saviour  to  be  the  power  and  prince  of  the  air)  and  by  it  has 
blown  down  the  house  in  which  his  children  were  feasting.) 

Here  was  ruin  enough,  such  as  the  devil  and  those  that  are 
like  him  could  alone  take  delight  in,  whioh  was  done  by  the  di- 
rect agency  and  power  of  Satan,  with  the  view  of  provoking 
righteous  Job  to  sin  and  rail  against  heaven,  on  account  of  tem- 
poral sufferings.  But  he  failed  in  the  attempt,  for  when  Job  had 
received  the  full  tale,  of  all  that  had  befallen  him,  he  fell  upon  his 
face  and  worshipped,  saying,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  ; 
naked  came  I  into  the  world,  and  naked  shall  I  return  ;  the  Lord 
gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  his  name. 

Now  after  all  this  was  done,  Satan  again  appears  at  such  time 
as  the  hosts  of  heaven  assemble  before  God  to  give  account  of 
their  acts,  and  to  receive  new  commands  ;  which  times  or  periods, 
as  it  seems,  were  well  known  to  this  fallen  spirit.  At  this  time 
also,  as  at  the  first,  "  The  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  from  whence 
comest  thou  ?  and  Satan  answered  the  Lord  and  said,  from  go- 
ing to  and  fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and  down  in  it. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  hast  thou  considered  my  servant 
Job,  that  there  is  none  like  him  in  the  earth,  a  perfect  and  up- 
right man,  one  that  feareth  God  and  escheweth  (avoideth)  evil, 
(sin)  and  still  (notwithstanding  what  you  have  done  unto  him  in 
the  ruin  of  his  wealth)  he  holdeth  fast  his  integrity,  although 
thou  movest  me  against  him,  to  destroy  him  without  a 
cause.  And  Satan  answered  the  Lord  and  said,  skin  for  skin, 
yea  all  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for  his  life.  But  put  forth 
thine  hand  now  and  touch  his  bone  and  his  flesh,  and  he  will 
curse  thee  to  thy  face.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan,  behold, 
he  is  in  thy  hand,  but  save  his  life.  So  Satan  went  forth  from 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  smote  Job  with  sore  biles  from 
the  soles  of  his  feet  to  his  crown."  But  even  this  severity  and 
buffeting  of  the  devil,  did  not  cause  Job  to  swerve  from  his  in- 
tegrity and  veneration  of  his  Creator ;  a  thing  which  Satan  very 
much  desired  to  see  accomplished,  as  he  could  not  bear  to  know 
that  a  being  less  in  intellect  than  himself,  should  even  in  a  state 
of  suffering  remain  faithful  to  his  veneration  for  the  Supreme 
Being. 

Now  on  the  belief  that  there  is  no  such  being  as  the  devil,  as 
is  held  by  Universalists,  and  that  in  the  above  account,  there  is 
no  intimation  of  such  a  spirit,  we  are  sadly  puzzled  to  find  out 
what  is  meant,  and  are  led  to  believe  that  Moses  has  here  uttered 
some  very  dark  sayings  which  are  likely  to  be  kept  hid  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world.  If  we  cannot  find  among 
the  race  of  men,  one  which  will  answer  for  a  Satan,  who  could 


254  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

appear  among  the  sons  of  God  at  certain  times  and  accuse  righte- 
ous Job,  and  one  who  had  power  to  operate  on  the  elements — on 
the  minds  of  the  Chaldean  and  Sabean  banditti,  and  on  the  flesh 
and  bones  of  a  mortal,  and  all  the  while  keep  himself  invisible, 
(as  it  does  not  appear  that  Job  ever  saw  him  during  all  his  trou- 
ble with  him)  what  shall  we  do  for  a  good  and  sufficient  Satan  as 
shall  answer  to  carry  out  this  account  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  with 
becoming  dignity  ?  If  we  interpret  the  whole  matter  to  have 
been  carried  on  in  the  mind  of  Job  alone,  without  the  presence 
or  interference  of  a  second  being,  such  as  Satan,  we  are  equally 
puzzled  to  make  out  a  straight-forward  and  consistent  meaning. 
For  in  such  a  case  it  may  have  been  merely  a  dream,  the  night- 
mare, or  some  such  thing  which  passed  through  his  imagination 
either  asleep  or  awake.  But  we  cannot  well  see  how  a  dream 
could  so  effectually  kill  all  his  cattle,  his  sons  and  daughters,  and 
destroy  his  other  property  as  well  as  his  health,  and  alienate  all 
his  friends  from  him  for  a  long  time  ;  and  then  restore  them  all 
again  with  a  vast  increase  of  property,  sons  and  daughters,  &c. 
Or  if  we  say  it  was  an  allegory,  invented  for  the  purpose  of 
teaching  mankind  the  doctrine  of  the  providence  of  God  toward 
his  creatures  in  this  life,  and  that  the  righteous  and  the  wicked 
are  not  here  dealt  with  according  to  their  true  characters ;  yet 
are  we  still  perplexed,  for  our  Lord  and  the  New  Testament 
writers  certify  to  the  existence  of  Job  and  of  his  patience  under 
his  afflictions,  which  destroys  the  idea  of  the  story's  being  an  al- 
legory in  any  sense.  If  all  that  account  was  but  the  mere  work- 
ing of  Job's  mind  on  theological  matters,  there  having  been  no  Sa- 
tanic influence  exerted  in  the  case — no  real  conversation  between 
God  and  this  Satan  about  holy  Job's  character  and  possessions  ; 
then  are  we  compelled  to  believe  that  Job  foolishly  entered  the  list 
against  himself  and  in  an  uncalled  for  manner  most  grievously 
accused  himself  to  God  of  hypocrisy  and  dissimulation,  and  of 
moving  God  without  a  cause  to  destroy  all  that  he  had,  not  ex- 
cepting even  his  children  and  hardly  his  own  life.  We  are 
compelled  to  make  Job  say,  that  he  feared  and  loved  God  on  ac- 
count of  the  wealth  he  had  been  permitted  to  accumulate  in  the 
land  ;  and  that  it  was  his  opinion,  if  God  would  but  take  it  all 
away  by  robbers,  by  fire  from  heaven,  by  the  winds  and  by 
death,  that  he  should  no  doubt  be  able  to  curse  him  to  his  face,  a 
thing  he  very  much  wished  to  do. 

What  an  object  was  this  for  a  man  to  propose  to  himself,  at  so 
great  a  sacrifice,  and  for  so  little  profit.  Surely  this  was  a  moral 
philosophy  in  the  inverse  proportion,  one  which  was  contrary  to 
all  proceedings  in  heaven,  earth  or  hell  which  has  ever  yet  been 
heard  of,  except  in  Universalist  theology.  So  the  Lord  took  him 
at  his  word  and  tried  him  ;  but  Job  found  himself  much  mista- 
ken, as  he  proved  to  be  much  better  than  he  thought  he  was ;  as 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  265 

after  all  he  wass  not  so  willing  to  curse  his  God  as  he  thought 
for. 

Well,  having  failed  in  this  attempt  to  achieve  the  wondrous 
deed,  being  a  wise  and  understanding  man,  he  soon  hit  upon 
another  plan  which  he  supposed  could  not  fail  of  reducing  him- 
self to  a  willingness  of  cursing  God  to  his  face.  This  plan  was 
to  require  of  the  Lord  that  he  should  snnte  his  bones  and  his 
flesh  with  sore  and  horrible  biles,  the  most  painful  and  nause- 
ous, reducing  him  to  a  universal  scab,  that  the  stink  of  his  per- 
son should  be  so  intolerable  as  that  there  could  be  no  approach 
to  him  except  on  the  windward  side.  He  wished  to  be  so  re- 
duced and  wretched  as  that  the  boys  of  the  meanest  of  the  people 
should  ridicule  and  abuse  him,  while  he  should  sit  down  in  ashes 
and  scrape  himself  with  bits  of  broken  earthen. 

But  even  this  plan  did  not  succeed,  as  after  all  he  found  him- 
self utterly^mwilling  to  curse  God;  wherefore  the  whole  of  his 
immense  sacrifice  of  property,  of  health,  character  and  power, 
were  expended  to  no  account,  as  the  thing  he  so  much  desired, 
namely,  to  curse  God,  was  yet  unaccomplished. 

Such  is  the  nonsense  arising  out  of  this  account,  if  it  is  to  be 
understood  as  Universalists  say  it  should  be  ;  as  they  cannot  on 
any  account,  admit  of  any  other  Satan  in  the  case  of  Job,  than 
poor  Job  himself:  while  at  the  same  time  he  was  saying  to  God, 
that  he  was  a  just  and  upright  man,  fearing  God  and  avoiding 
evil,  and  that  there  was  not  another  such  in  all  the  earth,  so 
good  and  so  perfect ;  yet  while  he  was  saying  this  of  himself,  he 
is  made  to  say  by  Universalists,  that  all  his  goodness  was  merce- 
nary and  wicked,  grievously  accusing  himself — as  we  must  not 
forget  that  he  was  acting  the  part  of  a  Satan  against  himself. 

If  there  was  no  Satanic  influence  in  the  case  of  Job,  except 
such  as  arose  in  and  out  of  his  own  mind,  we  should  like  to  be  in- 
formed how  he  went  to  work  to  influence  the  Sabeans,  the  Chal- 
deans, and  freebooters  of  the  desert,  to  fall  upon  his  property  and 
servants  1  or  how  he  contrived  to  call  down  the  fire  of  God  from 
the  clouds,  the  lightnings  upon  his  servants  and  his  camels,  and 
the  wind  of  the  wilderness,  which  tore  to  atoms  the  house  of  his 
eldest  son,  where  were  assembled  all  his  children,  who  were 
crushed  in  its  fall.  We  see  no  way  to  get  rid  of  the  literal  fact 
of  this  account  but  to  call  it  a  fiction,  which  we  suppose  a  Uni- 
versalist  would  rather  do,  than  to  believe  there  is  such  a  being 
as  Satan,  who  is  a  fallen  spirit,  a  distinct  and  supernatural  being  ; 
as  such  a  belief  would  ruin  the  idea  of  no  misery  in  eternity,  as 
Satan  must  be  miserable  if  he  exists  at  all;  for  this  people,  to  a 
man,  freely  consent  that  if  there  w,  or  will  be  sinners  after  death 
in  another  world,  that  then  there  must  be  misery,  and  that  misery 
is  a  hell.  But  they  get  rid  of  this  idea  by  believing  that  at  the 
time  of  the  general  resurrection  all  the  human  race  will  be  raised 
up  in  a  state  of  moral  purity,  and  fitted  for  heaven.     But  if  tho 


256  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

account  is  received  as  a  mere  allegory,  intended  by  Moses  mere- 
ly to  set  forth  the  doctrine  of  God's  providence,  as  before  re- 
marked, as  not  always  favoring  the  good  with  riches,  nor  pun- 
ishing the  wicked  with  poverty  and  distress  in  this  life,  then  the 
whole  account  is  false ;  because  it  does  in  the  most  circumstantial 
manner  point  out  the  man,  by  giving  his  very  name,  and  the 
name  of  his  country,  the  names  of  his  daughters,  and  of  his  three 
friends,  who  essayed  to  comfort  him  with  reproaches  and  accu- 
sations ;  and  also  the  exact  number  of  his  oxen,  sheep,  camels, 
and  she  asses,  and  that  he  was  the  greatest  man  of  all  the  east. 
Now  these  circumstances  carry  the  matter  too  far  altogether  for 
an  allegory,  and  are  entirely  uncalled  for,  as  an  allegory  on  the 
subject  could  have  been  invented,  without  being  so  exceedingly 
particular  in  matters  not  at  all  illustrative  of  the  doctrine  intended 
to  be  taught.  What  good  does  it  do  to  the  subject,  if  the  account  is 
but  an  allegory,  to  state  whether  the  asses  were  he  or  she,  or  how 
many  oxen,  camels  and  sheep  he  had  ;  would  it  not  have  been  just 
as  well,  and  a  little  better  for  Moses  to  have  said  that  the  man  of 
his  story  was  very  rich  indeed,  and  so  let  it  have  sufficed.  But 
the  allegory  still  stretches  itself  beyond  all  bounds,  and  becomes 
blasphemous,  inasmuch  as  God  and  his  holy  angels  are  brought 
in  to  aid  in  carrying  on  this  farce  of  making  out  Job's  contra- 
dictory character,  of  being  both  a  saint  and  a  Satan,  of  the 
most  accomplished  description.  If  there  was  no  third  being  in 
this  affair,  such  as  Satan  is  supposed  to  be,  then  God  must  be 
supposed  to  have  done  all  those  things  to  Job  without  a  cause  ; 
and  Job  to  have  accused  himself  falsely  and  foolishly  to  that  God, 
which  is  absurd.  If  we  say  the  account  is  really  an  allegory, 
then  we  may  enquire  why  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment bear  testimony  to  the  being \  to  the  name,  and  to  the  pa- 
tience of  this  Job ;  which  on  the  other  view  they  never  could 
have  done,  that  of  the  account's  having  been  a  mere  allegory. 

On  this  subject :  that  of  the  being  of  Satan,  as  found  in  Job— 
the  following  is  the  view  of  Adam  Clarke : — "  And  Satan  came 
also?  This  word  is  emphatic  in  the  original  Hebrew,  ha-Sa- 
tan,  or  the  adversary.  The  Septuagint,  or  Greek  translation, 
has  the  same  sense ;  also  the  Chaldee,  the  Syriac,  and  Arabic. 
St.  Peter,  1st  Epistle,  chap.  v.  8 — refers  plainly  to  this  place  in 
Job ;  and  fully  proves  that  ha-Satan,  which  he  translates  the 
adversary,  is  no  other  than  the  devil,  or  chief  of  the  fallen  an- 
gels. There  are  many  demons  mentioned  in  Scripure;  but  the 
word  Satan  is  never  found  in  the  originals  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  in  the  plural  number.  Hence  we  infer  that  all  evil 
spirits  are  under  the  control  of  one  chief,  Satan,  the  devil,  who 
is  more  powerful  and  more  wicked  than  those  which  are  his 
inferiors. 

Many  deny  the  existence  of  this  evil  spirit :  but  this  is  one  of 
what  St.  John,  (Rev.  ii.  24,)  calls  the  depths  of  Satan  :    as  he 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


25? 


well  knows  that  they  who  deny  his  being,  will  not  fear  his  power, 
— will  not  watch  against  his  wiles  and  devices — will  not  pray  to 
God  for  deliverance  from  this  evil  one — will  not  expect  him  to 
be  trampled  under  their  feet,  if  he  does  not  exist ;  and  conse 
quently,  will  become  an  easy  and  unopposing  prey  to  this  enemy 
of  all  souls.  By  leading  men  to  disbelieve  and  deny  his  exis- 
tence, he  throws  them  off  their  guard,  by  which  he  becomes  their 
complete  master,  and  leads  them  captive  at  his  will.  It  is  well 
known  of  those  sects  and  persons  who  deny  the  existence  of  the 
devil,  that  they  pray  little,  or  none  at  all,  and  are  apparently  as 
careless  about  the  being  of  a  God  as  they  are  about  the  being  of 
a  devil.  Piety  toward  God,  is,  with  them,  out  of  the  question  ; 
for  those  who  do  not  pray,  especially  in  secret,  have  no  religion 
of  any  kind,  whatsoever  pretensions  they  may  choose  to  make. 

King  David,  the  author  of  the  book  of  Psalms,  a  composition 
of  the  most  magnificent  diction  extant  on  the  earth,  believed  in 
the  existence  of  Satan ;  which  we  show  from  the  109th  Psalm, 
6th  verse,  where  a  description  of  the  treachery  of  Judas  Iscariot 
toward  Jesus  Christ,  is  set  forth,  as  commonly  understood,  in  the 
following  language :  "  Set  thou  a  wicked  man  over  him,  and  let 
Satan  stand  at  his  right  hand?     But  if  the  guilty  and  trou- 
bled conscience  of  Judas  is  there  called  Satan,  what  sense  was 
there  in  David's  saying  that  this  Satan  should  be  at  his  right 
hand  ;  why  did  he  not  state  it  as  it  was  to  be,  with  his  Satan,  or 
accusing  conscience  in  Judas'  heart :  how  could  David  suppose 
that  a  man's  conscience  could  be  placed  at  his  right  hand. 
Would  it  not  have  been  far  better  language,  and  more  according 
to  truth,  (if  there  is  no  personal  Satan,)  had  David  said,  when 
prophetically  alluding  to  the  treachery  of  Judas,  and  when  in- 
voking the  justice  of  God  against  him,  "  Set  thou  a  wicked  man 
over  him"  and  let  his  guilty  conscience,  which  is  Satan,  be  with- 
in him,  instead  of  at  his  right  hand.     But  concerning  this 
Satan,  who  is  mentioned  here  by  David,  the  Arabic  copy  of  the 
Old  Testament  says  that  it  was  Eblees,  the  chief  of  the  fallen 
spirits,  or  angels,  who  were  cast  out  of  heaven  for  their  rebellion 
against  God.     This  is  proof  absolute,  at  least,  that  in  ancient 
times  the  Satan  of  the  Scriptures,  was  believed  to  be  a  real  and 
literal  existence,  equally  as  much  so  as  was  an  angel,  a  man,  or 
even  as  is   God  himself.     What  though  the  word  Satan  in 
the   Hebrew  signifies  an  adversary,  or  an  accuser,  can   this 
fact  destroy  the  personality  of  an  accuser,  or  an  adversary? 
we  think  not,  but  rather  establishes  it.     For  it  is  impossible  that 
an  abstract  principle,  disconnected  from  any  being,  can  be  an 
accuser ;  as  all  principles  are  passive  till  brought  into  action  by 
some  agent,  and  cannot,  of  their  own  accord,  put  forth  action ; 
which,  if  they  could,  would  cause  them  to  become  identified 
beings,  and  immediately  would  be  recognized  as  creatures,  or 
persons,  whether  visible  or  invisible,  and  would  cease  to  be  ab- 

16 


258  HISTORY   OF    THE    FALLEN 

stract  principles.  But  if  this  was  said  of  the  treachery  o/ 
Judas  lscariot,  we  should  accordingly  look  for  its  accomplish- 
ment;  and  as  it  was  said  in  the  imprecation  of  David,  "let 
Satan  stand  at  his  right  hand"  we  see  that  it  turned  out 
even  as  predicted  of  him.  Judas,  with  the  other  disciples, 
having  found  a  place,  an  upper  room  in  Jerusalem,  where  he 
ate  with  the  Saviour  the  pascal  supper,  conceived  the  heinous 
crime  of  betraying,  that  night,  his  Lord,  to  the  officers  of  the 
Sanhedrim  and  the  court  of  Herod.  But  not  finding  sufficient 
courage  in  his  heart  to  carry  into  effect  so  horrid  an  act, 
Satan,  it  is  said,  came  to  his  aid,  and  entered  into  him,  and 
took  the  government  of  his  mind ;  when  he  hurried  away  to 
the  Sanhedrim,  and  consulted  how  he  might  deliver  his  master 
into  their  hands ;  see  Luke,  xxii.  3,  4 — "  Then  entered  Sa- 
tan into  Judas  surnamed  lscariot, . . .  And  he  went  his  way, 
and  communed  with  the  chief  priests  and  captains  how  he 
might  betray  him  unto  them."  This  fact  is  stated  also  by 
St.  John,  xiii.  27,  where  the  account  of  the  institution  of  the 
Lord's  supper  is  found,  and  that  also  of  Satan's  entering  into 
Judas,  as  stated  by  Luke  above  ;  "  And  after  the  sop  Satan 
entered  into  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him  (when  he  saw 
the  entrance  of  that  spirit  into  his  heart,)  that  thou  doest,  do 
quickly."  By  which  the  Saviour  meant,  seeing  Judas  had 
given  himself  over  to  the  devil,  to  betray  his  Lord  and  mas- 
ter, that  he  should  do  it  quickly  if  he  did  it  at  all.  Accordingly 
he  left  the  communion  table  of  his  Lord  and  brethren,  and  has- 
ted away  in  the  dark  a  distance  of  about  two  miles,  to  the  court 
room  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  agreed  with  them  for  thirty  pieces 
of  silver,  which  was  about  sixteen  dollars,  the  ordinary  price 
of  a  slave  in  those  times ;  a  goodly  price  this  for  the  God  of 
all  beings,  in  his  humiliation  among  men.  Now  as  soon  as 
the  bargain  was  finished,  and  Judas  had  his  money,  there  was 
given  him  a  company  of  soldiers,  whom  he  conducted  to  the 
place  where  he  knew  his  Lord  and  master  was  accustomed  to 
resort  for  meditation  and  prayer,  and  betrayed  him  to  them 
by  a  kiss.  But  soon  after  this,  as  he  saw  him  arraigned  in  the 
hall  of  Pilate,  and  in  all  probability  about  to  be  condemned  to 
death,  he  became  conscience  smitten,  and  said  to  the  Sanhe- 
drim that  he  had  betrayed  innocent  blood,  and  cast  down  the 
money  they  had  given  him,  and  rushed  away  in  his  sorrow, 
to  a  convenient  place,  with  a  rope  in  his  hand,  and  hung  him- 
self to  a  crag  of  a  rock  over  a  precipice  ;  but  not  having  fas- 
tened the  rope  sufficiently  sure,  soon  fell  to  the  earth,  bursting 
his  bowels  out  by  the  shock,  so  that  he  died  a  most  miserable 
death. 

Now,  from  all  this,  does  it  not  appear  that  Satan  was  at  his 
right  hand,  and  in  his  heart,  by  whom  his  sin  and  his  horrid 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  259 

death  was  brought  about;  because  he  yielded  to  his  tempta- 
tion at  the  first,  and  fulfilled  the  prophecy  of  David  in  relation 
to  this  thing.  The  other  part  of  the  prophecy,  which  gave 
him  over  to  the  guidance  of  a  wicked  man,  as  it  is  expressed, 
"  set  thou  a  wicjied  man  over  him"  was  fulfilled  in  the  per- 
son of  the  high  priest  who  gave  him  the  money,  and  urged 
him  on  to  that  work  of  treachery  and  murder,  being  instigated 
thereto  by  the  devil ;  as  that  chief  of  all  evil  spirits  supposed, 
that  by  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  should  destroy  his  great 
enemy  the  Son  of  God,  so  far  as  it  related  to  his  human  na- 
ture, and  thereby  overturn  and  destroy  the  new  doctrine  of 
the  Christian  system,  with  its  author. 

If  the  bad  passions  of  the  human  soul,  is  all  the  Satan  there 
is,  where  is  the    propriety  of  St.  John's  saying  as  he  does, 
that  Satan  entered  into  Judas?     Surely,  this  is  very  strange 
language,  and  entirely  improper,  unless  the  fact  was,  that  an 
evil  spirit,  called  Satan,  did  enter  into,  and  possess  the  heart 
of  Judas,  which  was  different  and  distinct  from  himself,  urg- 
ing him  on  to   the  perpetration   of   a  deed,  wThich  he  would 
never  have  done,  if  he  had  not  submitted  himself  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  devil,  and  proves  therefore,  the  existence  of  such 
a  being ;  as  the  evil  passions  of  Judas  Iscariot,  were  always 
within  him,  by  virtue  of  his  fallen  nature,  and  need    not, 
therefore,  to  enter  into  him,  as  they  were  always  in  him,  as 
they  are  in  every  other  man  of  the  human  race,  till  cast  out 
by  regeneration, — which  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 
If  it  is  still  persisted  in,  that  the  evil  passions  of  Judas  were 
the  real,  and  only  Satan  of  the  case,  then  it  follows,  that  his 
evil  passions  could  come  and  go,  at  their  own  pleasure — like 
a  snake  in  and  out  of  a  den  ;  for  if  this  was  not  so,  then  the 
language  is  exceedingly  improper,  as  it  is  written  that  Satan 
entered    into  him,  and  proves,  in  our  opinion,  that  till  he    so 
entered  into  him,  he  was  not  in  him  immediately  before,  un- 
less we  wish  to  make  nonsense  of  the  word  of  God. 

But  as  we  oppose  the  Universalist  doctrine,  of  there  being 
no  devil, — it  is  perphaps  incumbent  on  us  to  show,  in  what 
way  this  accuser  of  the  saints,  is  more  fully  and  perfectly 
cast  down,  than  we  have  heretofore  shown,  in  the  local  fact, 
respecting  the  victory  of  Christianity  over  heathenism,  in  the 
Roman  empire,  in  the  time  of  Constantine  :  seeing  we  be- 
lieve him  to  be  a  spirit,  the  leader  of  the  fallen  angels, — hav- 
ing a  personal  and  conscious  existence — which  Universalists 
do  not.  This,  we  suppose,  is  done  by  Jesus  Christ,  in  the 
great  fact  of  the  atonement,  by  which  he  has  commenced  to 
carry  into  effect  his  errand  on  earth  ; — namely  :  to  destroy 
both  the  devil  and  his  works,  (John,  iii.  8,)  by  planting  the 
principles  of  Christianity  in  the  earth,  and  by  reconciling   an 


260  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

offended  God  to  the  human  race,  so  far  as  to  afford  them  a 
new  opportunity  in  his  Son,  of  recovering  his  favor  ;  who  has 
by  the  propitiatory  sacrifice  of  himself,  obtained  gifts  for 
men,  and  by  which  he  will  finally  destroy  him  who  has  the 
power  of  death — which  is  the  devil — and  his  works  out  of 
the  earth. 

But  that  God  was  ever  unreconciled  to  man,  on  account  of 
his  sin,  is  denied  most  strenuously  by  all  Universalist  writers, 
while  they  allow  that  man  by  sin,  became  unreconciled  to 
God.  In  this,  they  endeavor  to  represent  God  as  looking  on 
the  rebellion  of  his  creatures,  with  an  eye  of  indifference,  as 
it  respects  himself.  But  we  consider  this  impossible  ;  for 
whoever  rebels  against  the  statute  of  the  state,  by  actual 
transgression,  sets  that  statute  against  himself,  and  incurs  its 
penalties  ;  on  which  account,  the  previous  reconciliation,  or 
agreement  together,  is  destroyed  as  effectually,  as  if  the  stat- 
ute itself,  could  feel  angry  and  vindictive  feelings — which  no 
man  supposes. 

There  is  no  agreement  between  error  and  truth  ;  and  of 
course,  there  can  be  none  between  God  and  sinners.  This 
fact  however,  raises  no  barrier  to  the  possibility  and  desire 
of  the  Most  High,  to  institute  in  his  clemency  and  pity,  a 
way  of  reconciliation,  toward  those  who  have  offended,  if 
their  cacs  ean  come  within  the  range  of  consistent  mercy  ;  as 
all  human  violated  statute  is  also  reconciled,  when  its  honor  is 
maintained  in  the  punishment  of  the  offender :  so  also  God 
ceases  to  be  offended  when  the  offender  ceases  to  be  a  sinner, 
by  any  means  whatever.  But  as  there  is  but  one  means  ap- 
pointed under  heaven,  in  which  the  reconciliation  can  take 
place  between  God  and  man,  we  need  look  for  no  other.  If 
it  is  contended  that  God  looks  with  equal  complacency  upon 
him  who  violates  his  moral  law,  and  him  who  keeps  and  ven- 
erates it,  then  why  should  men  talk  about  a  difference  of 
character — seeing  God  makes  none.  Yet  this  is  the  whole 
labor  of  Universalists  ; — namely  :  to  show  that  God  makes  no 
difference,  and  therefore,  needs  not  to  be  reconciled  to  our 
race,  by  the  sacrifice  of  his  Son's  human  nature. 

Reconciliation  on  the  part  of  God  toward  the  world,  is 
madje  out  in  the  atonement ;  which  makes  it  possible  for  him 
to  have  mercy  on  repenting  sinners — which  he  could  not,  in 
any  other  way — therefore,  we  contend  that  the  Gospel  is  in- 
tended to  reconcile  both  parties  ;  which  is  effected  in  the 
submission  of  the  one,  and  in  the  condescension  of  the  other. 
Satan  is  the  enemy  of  this  reconciliation  :  he  must  therefore, 
be  destroyed  ;  which  destruction  is  now  in  progress,  by  the 
operation  of  the  virtue  and  power  of  truth,  as  made  known  to 
man  by  inspiration  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  over  which,  Christ 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  261 

the  Saviour,  presides,  and  will  forever  preside,  till  all  ene- 
mies are  rendered  powerless  beneath  his  feet.  But  as  it 
respects  atonement  by  the  Saviour's  death,  Universalists  hoot 
at  it.  That  this  was  the  object  of  Christ,  is  plainly  stated — 
Hebrews,  ii.  14 ;  where  it  is  said  that  Christ  took  upon  him 
flesh  and  blood,  so  that  by  his  own  death,  u  he  might  destroy 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is  the  devil."  This 
very  thing  was  had  in  view  at  the  time  of  the  first  promise, 
which  was  made  to  Eve  at  the  time  of  her  fall,  when  it  was 
said  to  her,  that  her  seed  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 
It  was  this  to  which  our  Saviour  alludes,  when  he  said  to  the 
seventy  disciples  whom  he  had  sent  out  to  preach,  on  their 
return,  that  he  u  saw  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from  heaven  ;" 
by  which  we  understand,  his  final  victory  over  this  infernal 
spirit,  on  the  earth,  and  in  eternity.  In  evidence  of  this,  the 
circumstance  of  Satan's  peculiar  power,  as  exerted  against 
the  minds  and  bodies  of  men,  at  that  period,  being  made 
subject  to  his  name,  proves  the  progress  of  those  principles, 
of  which  Christ  was  the  author,  and  which  are  finally  to  ob- 
tain in  all  the  world  ;  for  the  seventy  said  on  their  return, 
that  the  very  devils  were  subject  to  them,  through  his  name. 
Thus,  we  imagine,  we  have  briefly  shown  hoio  Satan,  the 
accuser  of  the  saints,  was  cast  down  from  the  height  of  his 
power  over  man,  by  the  fall,  as  well  as  down  from  the  heaven 
of  his  heathen  idolatrous  worship  in  the  ancient  Roman  em- 
pire. 

But  we  think  we  have  other  evidence  of  the  same  descrip- 
tion, and  equally  convicing,  that  the  Satan  of  the  Scriptures, 
is  an  intellectual  being,  a  spirit,  a  fallen  angel,  and  not  a  man, 
not  a  disease,  not  an  image,  not  a  principle,  not  a  maniac,  not 
a  guilty  human  conscience,  not  distraction  of  mind, — but  a 
being,  a  thinking  conscious  being — having  in  him  the  first 
principles  of  all  evil — a  being  as  capable  of  will,  and  of  choice, 
in  his  ways,  as  any  other  being.  That  he  is  capable  of  will 
and  choice,  we  prove  from  2d  Tim.  ii.  26,  where  it  is  written  : 
4t  And  that  they  may  recover  themselves  out  of  the  snare  of 
the  devil,  who  are  taken  captive  by  him  at  his  will."  In  this 
passage  we  learn  that  this  spirit  has  the  power  of  will,  and 
proves  him  to  be  not  an  abstract  principle,  but  a  being,  hav- 
ing the  powers  of  will,  choice,  and  pursuits,  like  other  intel- 
lectual beings. 

But  if  he  is  capable  of  willing,  and  of  choice,  it  roav  be 
enquired, — why  he  does  not  will  or  choose  to  submit  to  God, 
and  thus  change  his  character  and  come  out  of  his  state  of 
wo  ?  This  we  answer,  is  because  he  will  not  thus  will  to  do  ; 
as  he  incapacited  himself  in  his  first  sinful  act  ;  on  which  ac- 
count, his  only  and  perpetual  will,  is  to  sin  on  ;    as  it  is  said 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  him  by  St.  John — namely:  that  "  the  devil  sinneth  from 
the  beginning."  But  it  may  be  still  enquired  :  is  not  this, 
his  condition,  the  condition  of  fate?  And  if  so, — how  is  he  to 
blame  for  his  continuation  in  sin,  if  he  is  fated  thereto  ?  To 
this  we  reply  :  that  if  a  man  cut  off  his  left  hand,  he  is  fated 
to  its  loss — as  it  cannot  be  restored  except  by  the  Almighty 
power  of  God — and  must  remain  thus  crippled,  while  life  en- 
dures, as  there  is  no  power  in  nature,  by  which  it  can  be  res- 
tored. So  may  it  not  be  with  Satan  ;  that  first  sinful  act  of 
his,  has  cut  him  off  from  the  moral  support  of  his  Creator, 
and  rendered  it  inconsistent,  and  therefore  impossible  for 
even  the  Almighty  to  restore  him,  or  change  his  character. 
If  therefore,  his  condition  is  fate,  all  we  can  say  of  it  is,  that 
his  fate  has  been  induced  and  procured  by  himself,  whereby 
he  has  thrown  himself  entirely  beyond  the  reach  of  consistent 
and  just  mercy,  or  he  would  have  been  offered  terms  of  sub- 
mission, as  well  as  man,  after  he  had  sinned. 

See  2d  Cor.  xi.  13,  14,  15,  and  16, — where  St.  Paul  gives 
an  account  of  certain  men,  whom  he  calls  false  apostles,  or 
ministers — deceitful  workers,  who  had  transformed  them- 
selves into  the  apostles  of  Christ,  by  hypocrisy  and  mere 
show.  But  St.  Paul  remarks  on  this  subject,  that  such  con- 
duct was  no  matter  of  surprise  to  him ;  for  this  reason — 
namely  :  that  Satan,  their  master,  is  often  changed  in  his 
character,  by  the  same  means,  and  in  the  same  way ;  where- 
fore he  has  written  it  as  follows  :  "  And  no  marvel,  for  Satan 
himself  is  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light:  Therefore  it 
is  no  great  thing  if  his  ministers  also  be  transformed,  as  the 
ministers  of  righteousness,  whose  end  shall  be  according  to 
their  works."*'  Now  what  is  the  argument  this  account  af- 
fords? It  is  just  this,  in  our  opinion, — namely:  that  if  there 
is  no  Satan  in  this  case,  who  has  a  conscious  and  distinct 
being,  and  having  the  oversight  of  ministers  ;  who,  according 
to  St.  Paul's  account  of  them,  were  opposed  to  Christianity, 
then  there  were  no  such  persons,  as  the  Apostle  calls  minis- 
ters of  Satan,  as  they  could  not  be  the  ministers  of  a  nonentity. 
There  is  just  as  much  reason  to  deny  the  being  of  Christ — 
whose  ministers  Paul  and  his  fellows  were — as  to  deny  the 
being  of  Satan — whose  ministers  those  persons  were  of  whom 
Paul  speaks — if  one  is'  but  a  mere  principle,  so  also  is  the 
other,  for  the  apostle  Paul  makes  no  difference  as  to  their 
identity  ;  both  of  whom  were  beings  of  an  invisible  state  ; 
though  it  is  true  Christ,  but  a  short  time  before  the  time  of 
Paul's  writing  the  above,  was  on  the  earth,  and  seen  of  men. 

But  how  could  Satan  transform  himself,  and  what  was  his 
appearance  ?  To  this  question  we  give  as  an  answer,  the 
remarks  of  Adam  Clarke  on  this  subject :    "  The  apostle," 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  263 

(when  he  said   Satan  is  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light,) 
"  had  the   history  of  the   temptation  and  fall  of  man    particu- 
larly in  view,  as  in  the  third  verse  of  the  same   chapter  it  is 
said,  "  But  I  fear  least  by  any  means,  as  the  serpent  beguiled 
Eve  through  his  subtilty,  so  your  minds  should  be  corrupted 
from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ ;"  and  it  is  very  likely 
that   here   he  refers  to  the  same  thing.     In   whatever  form 
Satan  appeared  to  our  first  mother,  his  pretensions  and  pro- 
fessions gave  him  the  appearance  of  a  good  angel ;  and  by 
pretending  that  Eve  should  get  a  great  increase  of  light,  wis- 
dom,  and   understanding,  by  which   means  he  deceived  her 
and  led  her  to  transgress.."     But  for  ourseif,  we  believe  that 
Satan  did  not  appear  at  all  to  Eve,  in  any  form  whatever,  as 
there  is  no  intimation  in  the   text  of  Moses  to  that  import ; 
but  only  that  he  entered  into  the  organs  of  the  animal  called 
Nachash,  and  in  that  disguise   transformed    himself  into  an 
angel  of  light,  or  light  bringer,  by  pretending  to  make  her 
more  wise  than  her  Creator  had  made  her.     But  on  the  sup- 
position that  there  is  no  Satan,  what  was  it  which  St.  Paul 
says  transformed  himself  into  angel  of  light  ?  Can  that  which 
does  not  exist  transform  itself  from  one  thing  to  another?  We 
believe  not.     It  was  not  those   false  apostle's  of  whom  the 
apostle  speaks*  that  did  this  thing,  but  the  head  and  master 
of  those  false  ministers,  a  being  called  Satan,  who  had  power, 
it  seems,  to  ape  an  angel  of  light,  and  had  done  so  long  before 
those  hypocritical  ministers  were  born.     But  on  the  Univer- 
salist  plan  and  view  of  this  subject,  we  are  told  that  Eve's 
own  mind  was  this  Satan ;  or  in  other  words  that  it  was  the 
bad  passions  of  her  soul  that  deceived   and  misled  her.     If 
this  was  so,  then  Eve  was  created  with  bad  passions ;  if  so, 
then  her  bad  passions   could  not  be  called  bad,  as  it  is  blas- 
phemy for  any  man  to  say,  write,  or  think,  that  God  ever 
created  moral  evil ;   which,   however,  he  has  done,  if  Eve 
was  created  with  bad  passions,  for  bad  passions  is  moral  evil. 
But  on  this  view,  that  of  Eve's  bad  passions  being  the  Sa- 
tan to  which  St.  Paul  above  has  alluded,  that  deceived  her, 
there  arises  another  strange  conclusion,  which  is  as  follows  : — 
If  Eve's  bad  passions  were  called  Satan  on  account  of  their 
being  bad  or  inimicable  to  her  happiness,  then  it  may  be  en- 
quired, what  kind  of  a  being  was  she  after  she  became  changed 
into  an  angel  of  light?  is  it  said  of  this  angel  of  light  that  it 
was  any  better  after  the  change  than  before  ?  0  no,  not  at  all ; 
for  St.  Paul  still  keeps  up  the  idea  that  though  Satan  was 
an  angel  of  light,  yet  he  was  but  a  Satan  still. 

It  is  impossible  to  have  any  consistent  view  of  this  thing, 
in  this  way,  namely,  that  of  Eve's  having  had  bad  passions  crea- 
ted within  her  by  her  Maker.     Were  this  so,  then  Eve  was  at 


264  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

once  furnished  with  a  righteous  excuse,  when  God  said  to 
her,  "  what  is  this  that  thou  hast  done  V  for  she  could,  and 
ought  to  have  said,  in  reply  to  her  Creator,  that  the  Satan, 
the  Nachash,  the  serpent,  or  the  bad  passions  of  her  soul, 
which  he  had  created  within  her,  had  deceived  her  by  false 
reasoning,  having  turned  into  the  semblance  of  an  angel  of 
light  within  her,  and  had  beguiled  her.  But  she  has  made  no 
such  excuse,  as  we  learn  from  the  text  of  Moses,  who  says — 
see  Gen.  iii.  14 — that  the  Lord  God  said  unto  the  Nachash, 
or  to  the  serpent  as  it  is  rendered,  "  Because  thou  hast  done 
this  thou  art  cursed  above  all  cattle."  Here  we  are  at  once 
instructed  that  this  serpent  was  not  Eve's  passions,  as  God 
could  not  have  called  them  cattle  or  behemah,  which  was  the 
Hebrew  word  for  beef,  or  animals  of  the  quadruped  or  four 
footed  kinds.  Can  any  mortal  in  his  right  senses  suppose, 
that  Eve  intended  to  charge  herself 'with  this  deception,  when 
she  said,  the  serpent  beguiled  me  ?  if  she  did,  why  then  did 
not  God  direct  the  curse  to  her,  instead  of  to  an  animal, 
which  he  called  behemah,  or  cattle.  But  this  he  did  not  do  ; 
for  he  put  the  curse  on  the  creature  which  Eve  had  talked 
with,  and  which  she  saw  with  her  eyes,  and  pointed  out  to 
God,  when  he  asked  her  what  she  had  done,  and  called  it 
Nachash,  a  term  which  did  not  apply  to  herself.  If  Eve  did 
not  allude  to  some  creature  when  she  thus  replied,  to  what 
did  she  allude,  as  it  cannot  be  shown  that  she  alluded  to  her- 
self? her  allusion,  therefore,  was  every  way  a  false  allusion, 
a  perfect  nonentity ;  and  did  God  curse  a  nonentity,  calling  it 
cattle,  and  saying  it  should  go  on  its  belly,  and  eat  dust  all 
the  days  of  its  life  ?  But  if  it  is  viewed  as  a  literal  fact,  and 
an  evil  spirit,  became  possessed  of  the  creature's  organs  for 
the  time  being,  and  by  this  means  deceived  Eve  with  false 
reasoning,  then  it  may  be  said  with  propriety — as  St.  Paul 
has  said  when  alluding  to  this  thing — that  Satan,  in  that  way, 
was  changed  into  an  angel  of  light,  and  that  his  ministers  do 
the  same,  substantiating  the  fact  of  Satan's  personal  existence. 


Further  Evidence  given  of  the  real  existence  of  Satan,  or  the 
Devil,  as  found  on  examining  the  New  Testament  on  this 
subject. 

But  though  the  personal  being  of  Satan  in  many  parts  of 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  is  spoken  of,  as  already  shown 
in  this  work ;  yet  in  the  New  the  proofs  are  far  more  abun- 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


265 


dant,  though  not  more  specific  nor  certain  than  in  the  Old. 
Matthew,  the  first  writer  in  the  order  of  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,  has  but  scarcely  commenced  his  work,  when 
he  has  introduced  to  our  attention  the  being  and  the  acts  of 
Satan.  See  his  4th  chapter,  from  the  1st  to  the  11th  verse 
inclusive,  in  which  we  do  not  doubt  but  we  discover  the  same 
being,  retaining  the  same  name,  Satan,  and  the  same  pursuit, 
that  of  sin  and  moral  ruin,  as  in  the  first  Scriptures  by  Moses 
and  the  other  prophets.  St.  Matthew's  account  begins  thus 
— in  which  we  find  him  almost  at  once,  referring  to  this  being  : 
11  Then  was  Jesus  led  of  the  (holy)  spirit  into  the  wilderness 
(of  Judea,  not  far  from  Jordan,  where  he  was  baptized,)  to 
be  tempted  of  the  devil"  or  of  Satan,  as  it  is  in  the  eleventh 
verse.  M  And  when  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and  nights,  (as 
Moses  and  Elijah  had  done,)  he  was  afterwards  hungry. 
And  when  the  tempter  came  to  him  (the  Saviour)  he  (Satan) 
said,  if  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command  that  these  stones 
be  made  bread.  But  Christ  answered  and  said,  it  is  written 
man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  Then  the  devil  took 
him  up  into  the  holy  city,  (Jerusalem,)  and  set  him  on  a  pin- 
nacle of  the  temple,  and  said  unto  him,  if  ihou  be  the  Son  of 
God,  cast  thyself  down  :  for  it  is  written,  he  shall  give  his 
angels  charge  concerning  thee  ;  and  in  their  hands  they  shall 
bear  thee  up,  least  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a 
stone.  Jesus  said  unto  him,  it  is  written  again,  thou  shalt 
not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God.  Again  the  devil  took  him  up 
into  an  exceeding  high  mountain,  and  shewed  him  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world,  (or  of  that  land  which  was  then  di- 
vided into  three  small  kingdoms,  under  Herod  and  his  two 
sons,)  and  the  glory  of  them,  and  of  the  kingdoms  of  all  the 
earth,  by  allusion,  and  said  unto  him,  all  these  things  will  I 
give  thee,  ^  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me.  Then  said 
Jesus  unto  him,  get  thee  hence  Satan  :  for  it  is  written,  thou 
shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve.  Then  the  devil  left  him,  and  behold  angels  came  and 
ministered  unto  him." 

Now,  if  in  all  this,  there  is  no  intimation  of  the  being  of 
Satan,  or  the  devil,  as  commonly  believed,  then  it  must  fol- 
low, that  there  is  none  of  Jesus  Christ;  as  there  were  two, 
according  to  the  account,  who  talked  together  in  that  wilder- 
ness, at  that  time  and  on  that  occasion;  and  if  one  of  them  is 
merely  ideal,  or  but  a  principle  in  the  abstract,  then  both  are 
by  the  same  rule  of  reasoning.  The  account  is  plain  to  the 
point,  that  two  beings  conversed  together,  and  opposed  each 
other  in  that  conversation  ;  the  queries  of  the  one  are  repelled 
and   answered  by  the  other;  and  if  one  of  the  characters  is 


266  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

believed  to  have  been  merely  ideal,  why  not  the  other  ?  where 
is  the  proof  to  the  contrary  ?     If  it  is  said  that  Christ  by  no  means 
can  be  considered  as  ideal  in  that  conversation,  because  he  went 
up  from  his  baptism  into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted ;  and  that 
he  actually  quoted  Scripture  there  against  his  tempter,  and  was 
hungry  ;  which  sensation,  that  of  hunger,  could  never  be  felt  by 
a  mere  idea ;  and  therefore  proves  his  actual  presence  and  being ; 
so  it  can  be  also  said  of  Satan,  that  he  came,  or  tvent  to  the  Sa- 
viour, which  shows  him  to  have  been  a  distinct  being,  or  he  could 
not  have  went  to  him ;  and  that  he  talked  with  him,  and  said 
many  things  about  bread,  about  what  the  angels  were  charged 
to  do  concerning  him,  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  and  about  his  try- 
ing to  get  the  Son  of  God  to  worship  him,  &c. ;  which  as  spe- 
cifically marks  out  the  identity  of  Satan  as  of  Jesus  Christ.     Can 
it  be  imagined,  without  blasphemy,  that  the  spotless  Messiah 
went  into  that  wilderness  to  tempt  himself  with  wickedness, 
even  to  worship  the  devil  1  but  if  there  is  no  devil,  as  the  Uni- 
versalists  teach,  then  he  was  tempted  to  worship,  what  they  sup- 
pose to  have  been,  the  evil  passions  of  his  own  breast.     Can  any 
one  suppose  that  he  went  there  to  tempt  himself  to  fall  down  to 
his  own  presence,  and  to  worship  his  own  person  1  which,  how- 
ever, must  have  been  so,  or  he  was  tempted  to  worship  a  nonentity, 
if  there  was  no  Satan  who  tempted  him,  who  was  different  from 
himself  at  that  time.     It  is  said  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  was 
without  sin,  and  that  he  knew  no  sin  ;  and  that  he  was  the  lamb 
of  God,  without  sjwt  or  blemish,  and  that  guile  was  not  found 
in  his  mouth ;  yet  we  are  told  by  Universalists,  that  this  devil 
which   tempted  him  in  the  wilderness,  was  the  workings  of 
his  own  human  passions,  the  same  as  in  the  breast  and  soul  of 
any  other  man,  but  that  he  overcame  them.     If  this  were  so, 
then  was  the  Saviour  of  the  world  far  from  being  without  sin, 
as  evil  passions  are  sinful,  and  are  evidence  of  a  state  of  depravi- 
ty where  they  are  found.     When  the  Saviour,  at  a  certain  time, 
was  contradicted  and  reviled  by  the  Jews,  he  enquired  of  them 
which  of  them  could  convince  him  of  sin — John,  viii.  46 — 
"  Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of  sin."     What  a  pity  that  some 
wise  Universalists  had  not  been  there  to  help  the  Jews,  by  just 
reminding  them  that  Jesus  was  a  depraved  creature,  like  any 
other  man,  as  he  was  nothing  but  a  man ;  but  that  it  was  likely 
he  managed  pretty  well  to  govern  his  passions ;  yet  from  the 
fact  of  his  depravity,  or  similar  condition  with  themselves,  there 
could  be  no  good  reason  why  he  could  not  be  guilty  in  some 
respect,  as  well  as  other  men.     But  it  is  no  marvel  that  Univer- 
salists should  contend  that  Jesus  Christ  had  bad  passions  like 
other  men,  for  it  is  the  awful  fact,  that  they  do  believe  he  was  not 
begotten,  as  to  his  human  nature,  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  by  a 
human  father,  as  is  the  case  of  all  men,  Adam  alone  excepted  ; 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


267 


the  consequences  of  which  opinion  we  have  shown  already  in 
this  work. 

At  certain  points  in  the  course  of  his  temptation,  as  related  by 
St.  Matthew,  the  tempter,  or  Satan,  said  to  Christ,  if  thou  be  the 
Son  of  God,  then  do  this  and  that ;  for  instance,  make  bread  out 
of  stones,  or  cast  thyself  headlong  from  this  pinnacle.  But  if  all 
this  transpired  and  originated  in  Christ's  own  bosom,  without 
the  interference  of  a  second  being,  then  it  follows  that  he  tempted 
himself  to  doubt  whether  he  was  the  Son  of  God  ;  as  the  reader 
will  observe  that  he  said,  if  thou  be,  &c. — which  form  of  speech 
implied  doubt — then  do  this  and  that.  Can  it  be,  that  Christ, 
who  proceeded  and  came  forth  from  the  father,  to  inhabit  the 
body  which  the  Godhead  had  prepared  for  him ;  as  it  is  written 
in  Hebrews,  x.  5,  7,  "a  body  hast  thou  prepared  me.  Then 
said  I,  lo  I  come,  in  the  volurrie  of  the  book,  it  is  written  of  me, 
te  do  thy  will,  O  God."  Can  it  be  said  that  this  being  said  to 
himself,  get  thee  hence  Satan,  and  the  person  who  says  so  not 
be  guilty  of  blasphemy  ?  And  such  must  have  been  the  fact,  if 
it  is  not  admitted  that  Christ  was  tempted  and  tried,  afflicted 
and  abused,  by  a  being  distinct  from  himself  in  nature,  name, 
and  character,  in  that  same  wilderness. 

As  it  respects  Satan's  transporting  the  Saviour  through  the 
air,  to  the  top  of  a  high  mountain,  and  to  a  pinnacle  of  the  tem- 
ple, there  is  nothing  contradictory  or  inconsistent  in  this ;  as  we 
know  he  could  have  permitted  Satan  to  do  this,  as  easily  as  him- 
self could  walk  on  the  waters  of  the  lake  Genesareth  without 
injury.  We  do  not  suppose  that  Christ  empowered  Satan  on 
that  occasion,  to  do  this ;  but  as  Satan,  who  is  the  power  and 
prince  of  the  air — Eph.  ii.  2 — has,  as  a  supernatural  being,  cer- 
tain attributes,  by  which  the  common  laws  of  nature  are  over- 
come by  him,  could  therefore,  if  permitted,  transport  the  body  of 
the  Saviour  through  that  element. 

What  must  his  disciples  have  thought  of  him,  who  when  they 
became  converted  to  him,  and  had  received  him  as  their  master 
and  teacher,  when  he  related  to  them  this  account,  as  he  must 
have  done,  there  having  been  no  witness  present  in  the  wilder- 
ness— how  that  on  a  certain  time,  as  he  was  walking  in  the 
woods,  he  was  self  tempted  to  doubt  his  being  the  Son  of  God  ; 
and  to  become  a  great  king,  have  a  crown,  expell  the  Romans 
from  the  country,  and  to  restore  the  Jews  to  the  glory  of  their 
ancient  temporal  condition,  and  much  more  so;  and  that  he 
repelled  the  temptation  brought  by  himself,  and  called  himself 
Satan,  and  told  himself  to  go  hence,  and  that  he  was  his  own 
worst  adversary,  slanderer  and  accuser.  All  this  he  must  have 
done,  if  the  Universalist's  sentiments  and  comments  on  the  temp- 
tation of  our  Lord,  is  correct,  namely,  that  there  was  no  Satan 
in  the  case,  except  Christ's  own  immaculate  mind.  This  view 
of  the  subject  would  reduce  the  God-man  of  our  salvation  to  the 


268  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

very  same  condition  with  ourselves,  and  exhibit  him  as  a  de- 
praved creature,  who  stood  in  as  much  need  of  a  Redeemer,  or 
of  an  atonement,  as  any  other  person  of  our  race ;  which  senti- 
ment should  any  one  avow,  would  be  blasphemy,  as  it  would  be 
speaking  injuriously  of  the  character  of  Jesus  Christ. 

If  we  say  that  all  the  evil  principles  of  our  fallen  and  de- 
praved nature — as  anger,  malice,  envy,  lusts  of  every  description, 
pride,  cruelty,  covetousness,  ingratitude,  malevolence,  and  stu- 
pidity, were  all  personified  in  one  hideous  group,  or  person,  in 
the  mind,  or  view  of  the  Saviour,  which  he  saw  fit  to  call  Satan, 
or  the  devil ;  yet  it  is  impossible  to  suppose  that  these  passions 
could  talk,  contradict,  argue,  and  qu®te  Scripture,  as  St.  Matthew 
says  Satan  did.  This  is  a  latitude  of  action,  and  ability,  which 
cannot  be  ascribed  to  the  personification  of  any  principle  what- 
ever, as  set  forth  in  any  part  of  the  Scriptures.  If  it  were  the 
evil  principles  of  human  nature,  which  were  thus  personified,  as 
Universalists  believe, — why  call  them  the  devil  ? — as  there  is  no 
type,  or  thing  in  existence,  after  which  such  a  personification 
could  have  been  named  or  modeled ; — if  there  is  no  such  being, 
why  did  not  the  Saviour  say  that  it  was  his  view  of  human  na- 
ture, which  presented  itself  before  him ;  instead  of  saying  that  it 
talked  with  him  awhile,  and  then  went  away  ?  How  came  the 
evil  passions  of  human  nature  to  be  so  well  acquainted  with  the 
Bible? — for  we  see  they  quoted  a  passage  out  of  the  book  of 
Psalms,  (xci.  11,  12,)  and  had  the  art  of  quoting  it  in  a  mutila- 
ted manner,  with  the  view  of  deceiving  the  Saviour ;  which 
reads :  "  To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways?  Those  personified  evils 
of  human  nature,  it  seems,  chose  to  omit  in  its  quotations 
the  most  important  part  of  the  statement — namely :  that  of  keep- 
ing the  Messiah  in  all  his  ways,  while  incarnated  in  human 
nature. 

If  the  Saviour  wished  to  be  tried  by  the  arts,  machinations, 
and  devices  of  depraved  human  nature,  why  go  into  the  woods, 
where  there  was  no  human  being  to  be  found  ?  Why  not  go 
into  the  society  of  the  worst  description  that  he  coul  find  ? — as 
such  a  method  would  have  exposed  him  more  fully  to  such  a 
personified  condition,  or  representation  of  the  disposition  of  our 
race,  than  could  have  taken  place  in  the  wilderness.  If  he 
wished  to  inform  his  disciples  of  the  real  moral  condition  of  man- 
kind, why  did  he  not  state  it  plainly,  and  call  it  human  nature  ; 
rather  than  by  an  unmeaning  name — the  devil, — which  had  no 
reality  or  foundation  in  being  ?  But  as  it  respects  this  personifi- 
cation sentiment,  it  is  ridiculous,  from  another  view  of  the  subject, 
when  it  is  recollected  that  Christ  needed  no  such  exhibition,  or 
personification  of  human  nature,  for  his  better  understanding  it,  on 
account  of  his  omniscience ;  of  whom  it  is  said,  (John,  ii.  24, 25,) 
that  "  he  knew  all  men  ;  and  needed  not  that  any  should  tes- 
tify of  man,  for  he  knew  what  was  in  man."     It  appears  also 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  269 

from  several  other  Scriptures,  which  might  be  cited,  that  the 
thoughts  of  men's  hearts  were  known  to  him,  ere  they  were  ut- 
tered in  words  :  what  use  therefore,  could  such  a  personification 
of  the  evil  passions  of  man  be  to  the  Saviour,  in  point  of  his  get- 
ting at  that  time,  a  full  and  fair  view  of  them,  more  than  he 
always  had  a  knowledge  of?     None  at  all ! 

This  Satan,  then,  which  tempted  him  in  the  wilderness,  could 
not  have  been  his  own  pure  mind,  nor  yet  a  view  of  the  passions 
of  our  race  ;  as  the  Satan  which  came  to  him  there,  performed 
actions  which  are  impossible  to  be  supposed,  as  the  result,  either  of 
his  own  nature,  or  that  of  man's  :  for  he  could  not  have  doubted 
that  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  as  the  tempter  certainly  did,  which 
we  learn  from,  &c,  if,  on  that  subject ;  neither  could  the  bad  pas- 
sions of  his  nature,  or  mere  passions,  have  quoted  the  book  of 
Psalms,  with  a  view  to  his  ruin.  St.  Mark  (chap.  i.  13.)  states 
the  case  plainly,  by  saying  that  Christ  was  in  a  wilderness, 
among  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forests,  and  that  Satan  was  present 
to  tempt  or  try  him,  and  that  he  was  there  in  the  woods,  night  and 
day,  one  month  and  ten  days,  or  in  other  words,  forty  days.  St. 
Luke  says  that  he  was  in  the  wilderness  forty  days,  tempted  of 
the  devil. 

But  on  the  supposition,  that  all  the  devil  there  was  in  the  case, 
was  the  passions  of  the  Saviour's  own  heart,  which  tempted  him 
then  there  follows  a  very  curious  result;  which  is,  that  his 
bad  passions,  when  they  had  done  what  they  could  to  destroy 
him,  left  him  and  went  away  ;  when  angels  came  and  ministered 
unto  him  :  but  pretty  soon;  or  before  a  great  while,  they  all  came 
back  again.  This  we  learn  from  Luke,  iv.  13,  where  it  is  said  : 
"And  when  the  devil  had  ended  all  the  temptation,  he  departed 
from  him  for  a  season ;"  which  implies,  that  he  returned  again, 
and  for  aught  we  know,  entered  anew  into  his  old  possession  ; 
to  which  we  can  see  no  objection,  if — as  Universalists  say — he 
was  no  more  than  a  mere  man,  abstracted  from  his  delegated 
powers ;  as  they  hold  that  all  his  powers  were  delegated  to  him 
from  God. 

But  if  we  admit  the  literal  existence  and  presence  of  such  a  be- 
ing as  Satan,  as  commonly  supposed  on  that  occasion,  then  all 
these  difficulties,  which  arise  on  the  other  view,  vanish  out  of 
sight,  and  the  mind  is  relieved  from  an  agonising  struggle  to  de- 
fend and  make  appear  as  consistent,  that  which  is  impossible  in 
its  very  nature.  Were  it  possible  that  this  plain  and  specific  ac- 
count of  Satan  and  Jesus  Christ,  as  given  by  St.  Matthew,  Mark 
and  Luke,  could  be  viewed  as  a  parable,  or  an  allegory,  surely 
Mr.  Ballou,  a  champion  of  Universalist  unconditional  salvation, 
from  no  hell,  no  devil  and  no  fall  in  Adam,  would  have  so  treat- 
ed it ;  a  5t  he,  even  Ballou,  has  passed  the  whole  account,  as  gi- 
ven by  St.  Matthew,  entirely  over  in  silence,  in  his  famous  book 
on  the  parables  ;  which  silence  we  consider  very  remarkable. 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

But  some  who  believe  in  the  literal  existence  of  Satan  may 
desire  to  know  why  Satan  should  thus  have  tempted  and  tried 
our  Lord,  if  he  knew  that  he  could  not  prevail  over  him  at  last. 
The  only  answer,  perhaps,  which  can  be  given  to  this  query  is, 
that  though  he  then  knew  who  he  was,  and  his  character  and 
errand  on  the  earth,  and  that  he  would  prevail,  yet  as  he  had  ta- 
ken upon  him  the  weakness  of  human  nature,  such  as  Adam 
possessed  before  his  fall,  and  that  he  had  condescended  to  the 
form  of  a  servant ;  that  now  he  had  the,  first  and  only  opportu- 
nity of  afflicting  him,  who  was  his  Creator,  united  with  flesh  and 
blood,  by  insult  and  abuse  the  most  aggravating  and  mean.  He 
therefore,  agreeable  to  his  own  debased  and  malicious  nature, 
gladly  seized  upon  the  opportunity.  According  to  the  rules  and 
mysteries  of  eternity,  of  which  man  knows  but  little,  it  appears 
that  this  second  Adam,  our  Saviour,  who  was  the  Lord  from 
heaven,  1  Cor.  xv.  47,  must,  as  a  celestial  gladiator,  enter  the 
list  with  this  infernal  spirit,  dressed  in  the  lorm  and  habiliments 
of  unfallen  human  nature,  and  expose  the  virtues  thereof  to  the 
keenest  attacks  of  that  subtilest  of  all  the  fallen  spirits,  and  come 
off  victorious,  so  as  to  honor  that  law  in  its  essence,  which  was 
given  to  Adam  in  Paradise,  the  law  of  obedience,  or  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  world,  as  intended  by  the  Saviour,  could  not  have 
progressed  another  step  toward  its  consummation. 

That  this  person,  who  had  gone  into  the  wilderness,  whom 
Satan  pursued  and  watched,  was  the  Son  of  God,  he  knew  from 
what  was  said  at  his  baptism  in  Jordan,  when  a  voice  from  hea- 
ven declared  him  to  be  His  beloved  Son.  He  therefore  knew 
that  the  time  had  now  come,  when  he,  as  the  Messiah,  was  com- 
mencing his  spiritual  kingdom  among  men,  and  to  overturn 
the  works  of  Satan  in  the  earth ;  and  therefore,  as  Christ,  the 
Eternal  Word,  had  come  down  to  the  condition  of  man,  and 
was  to  establish  his  church  among  fallen  beings,  he  was  deter- 
mined to  seize  the  opportunity  to  distress  and  harass  him,  while 
in  this  condition,  all  that  was  in  his  power.  Satan  knew  the 
prophecies  respecting  the  coming  of  this  character,  but  most  of 
all,  he  remembered  the  promise  of  God  to  Eve,  that  her  seed 
should  bruise  his  head ;  and  withal  he  remembered  that  it  was 
given  to  him  to  bruise  the  heel  of  this  seed  by  death  on  the  cross. 
This  spirit  therefore  gloried  in  the  opportunity,  and  commenced 
his  operations  with  him  by  mockery  and  insult ;  pretending  to 
doubt  whether  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  but  if  he  was  he  wished 
him  to  give  some  proof  thereof;  as  the  making  bread  out  of 
stones,  and  of  casting  himself  down  from  a  pinnacle  of  the  tem- 
ple unhurt,  dec.  He  even  carried  his  audacity  so  far  as  to  ask 
the  Saviour  to  fall  down  and  worship  him,  and  to  offer  Him 
who  is  the  creator  and  proprietor  of  Universal  nature,  as  pay- 
ment for  so  doing,  possession  of  the  earth.  The  Saviour  sub>- 
mitted  to  this  abuse  from  the  infernal  spirit,  so  as  to  become  a 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  271 

faithful  High  Priest  to  all  who  should  put  their  trust  in  him ; 
and  that  men  might  know  that  he  had  gone  down  to  the  depths 
of  degradation,  for  their  sakes,  and  that  he  had  come  up  from 
thence  without  a  stain,  and  had  conquered  the  devil's  malice  and 
pride  by  his  meekness  and  wisdom. 

Concerning  the  temptation  of  Christ  in  the  wilderness  by  the 
devil,  some  believe  that  the  whole  event  transpired  in  a  dream  or 
a  vision.  But  this,  no  more  than  the  other  problem  about  per- 
soniiied  human  nature,  explains  the  difficulty,  as  there  is  no  in- 
timation of  its  having  been  a  dream  or  a  vision :  and  more  than 
this,  it  is  incipient  blasphemy  even  to  imagine  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  might  have-  presented  the  image  of  Satan  in  a  dream  or 
vision  of  the  Saviour,  if  he  does  not  exist ;  as  such  a  procedure 
must  have  been  a  false  representation. 

But  some  have  imagined,  that  because  the  Saviour  was  tempt- 
ed of  the  devil,  that  a  possibility  of  his  having  been  overcome, 
did  exist,  as  well  as  in  the  case  of  man  ;  wherefore  they  have 
supposed  that  it  was  within  the  reach  of  possibility  that  he  might 
have  failed ;  and  God's  promises,  with  all  the  prophecies,  and 
the  atonement  and  salvation  of  men,  been  utterly  defeated.  But 
the  thought  should  never  be  harbored  for  a  moment,  that  be- 
cause the  Son  of  God  condescended  to  be  tried,  by  abuse  even 
from  the  devil,  that  on  that  account  he  was  liable  to  sin,  as  that 
was  impossible.  Satan  himself  knew  better  than  this,  yet  that 
was  no  reason  why  he  should  not  exert  his  power  to  afflict  him, 
in  his  humiliation ;  for  Satan  is  mean  as  well  as  wicked.  We 
are  not  to  suppose  that  our  Lord  was  tempted  to  sin  as  men  are 
now  tempted,  who  are  fallen,  impure  and  prone  to  evil  continu- 
ally ;  whose  appetites  and  passions  are  wrought  upon  by  the 
devil,  by  his  exciting  unlawful  gratification.  But  this  cannot  be 
said  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  he  did  not  take  upon  him  man's  fallen 
nature,  but  only  the  same  as  that  of  Adam  before  his  fall ;  conse- 
quently there  was  nothing  in  him  to  which  the  temptation  to 
sin  could  have  been  suited  or  adapted.  What  then  is  meant, 
when  it  is  said,  as  in  Heb.  iv,  15,  that  Jesus  Christ  "icas  in  all 
points  tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin  ?"  This  is  the 
meaning,  as  we  apprehend  :  he  was  tried  and  afflicted  by  suffer- 
ings, in  all  points  as  we  are,  yet  he  did  not  sin  ;  on  which  very 
account  it  is  said  in  the  same  verse,  that  "  he  can  be  touched 
with  the  feeling  of  our  (sinless)  infirmities,  because  he  hath  fell 
the  same."  This  sense  is  confirmed  in  Luke  xxii.  28,  where  it 
is  seen  that  the  Saviour  said  to  his  disciples,  "  Ye  are  they  which 
have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations"  afflictions  and 
trials,  and  have  not  forsaken  me  on  that  account.  When  it  is 
said  in  the  Lord's  prayer,  "  lead  us  not  into  temptation"  we  are 
not  to  suppose  that  we  are  to  pray  to  God  not  to  lead  us  to  com- 
mit sin ;  as  this  would  be  admitting  that  he  might  possibly,  un- 
der some  circumstances,  sometimes,  even  lead  us  to  commit  sin, 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

which  is  impossible  for  him  to  do,  as  he  tempteth  no  man.  But 
the  meaning  is,  lead  us  not  into  afflictions,  sorrows,  and  dis- 
tressing circumstances,  of  a  temporal  nature ;  as  of  extreme 
poverty,  war,  famine,  pestilence,  accidents,  and  the  extraordinary 
exigencies  of  human  existence  ;  but  if  such,  in  the  divine  provi- 
dence, should  be  found  necessary  as  disciplinary  punishment, 
it  was  proper  to  say,  deliver  us  from  evils  of  this  kind,  as  well 
also  as  from  those  of  a  sinful  nature. 

That  Christ  was  led  of  the  spirit  of  God  into  the  wilderness, 
to  be  tempted  of  the  devil,  is  attested  to  in  the  most  particular 
and  satisfactory  manner,  by  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and  St.  Luke. 
But  on  the  supposition,  which  Universalists  indulge  in — namely : 
that  there  was  no  devil  which  tempted  him  on  that  occasion,  except 
the  corrupt  desires  of  his  own  bosom — such  as  all  men  are  afflic- 
ted with,  then  there  was  no  need  that  he  should  go  forty  days  tnio 
the  woods,  among  wild  beasts  ;  for  the  devil  which  tempted  him 
was  ever  with  him,  forming  a  part  of  his  very  nature,  and  frame 
of  spirit. 

Can  it  be  supposed  that  he  imagined,  that  were  he  to  withdraw 
himself  entirely  from  the  company  of  men,  into  the  wilderness, 
that  by  so  doing,  he  should  afford  himself  a  better  opportunity, 
to  tempt  himself  to  his  own  defeat  and  ruin  ?  We  should  think 
not :  as  by  this  act  there  could  have  been  no  diminution,  or  in- 
crease of  the  evils  of  his  nature,  even  on  the  view  Universalists 
have  of  that  transaction,  and  therefore,  he  might  as  well  have  staid 
among  his  disciples.  On  the  Universalist  view  of  this  subject, 
we  are  not  able  to  ascertain  the  reason  why  Christ  went  into  the 
wilderness  at  all ;  as  there  is  no  devil, — but  human  nature  alone. 
Mr.  Ballou  in  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  page  54,  asks  the 
question  in  a  kind  of  shrexod  manner,  as  if  secure  of  victory  ; — 
whether  the  devil  ever  tempts  any  body  contrary  to  their  passions 
and  the  influence  of  motives  ?  He  answers — No !  He  then 
states  a  case  as  follows:  "Suppose  a  man  to  be  exceedingly- 
hungry,  and  an  agreeable  meal  is  set  before  him,  and  he  is  invi- 
ted to  refresh ;  at  that  moment  the  devil  comes  and  tempts  him 
to  eat.  What  would  the  temptation  avail  on  the  hungry  man, 
supposing,  in  room  of  tempting  him  to  eat,  he  should  tempt 
him  not  to  eat  ?  would  he  be  likely  to  succeed?" 

On  this  view  of  the  subject,  we  grant  that  in  such  a  case,  the 
word,  and  even  the  idea  of  temptation,  in  relation  to  a  man's 
eating  when  hungry,  is  as  inapplicable  as  if  it  were  applied  to  a 
dumb  beast,  which  should  do  the  same  thing ;  for  the  operation 
of  natural  philosophy,  or  of  simple  nature,  as  in  the  case  of  hun- 
ger, needs  nothing  to  excite,  farther  than  mere  appetite. 

But  will  this  similie  do,  when  the  case  is  carried  higher,  and 
assumes  a  tincture  of  moral  evil  ?  we  think  not ;  because,  if  a 
man  refuses  to  eat  when  hungry — and  it  is  lawful  for  him  to  do 
so — he  then  sins  against  his  own  comfort,  as  well  as  the  benevo- 


ANGLLS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  273 

lent  purposes  of  the  Divine  Providence.  How  many  have 
starved  themselves  to  death  contrary  to  the  cravings  of  appetite  ? 
Thousands  !  It  may  be  replied,  nature  with  all  her  frowns  for- 
bidding such  a  course.  Of  such  an  one,  it  may  be  said,  that  he 
is  tempted  of  the  devil,  to  do  an  act  contrary  to  this  innocent 
trait  of  animal  nature  ;  as  any  other  reason  why  a  man  should 
do  so  is  hard  to  Learn, 

But  respecting  the  existence  of  a  devil,  this  writer  says  on  the 
same  page,  as  above  quoted — namely,  the  54th — that  he  has 
"no  objection  to  believing  that  there  is  suck  a  devil  as  the  Scrip- 
ture speaks  of,  and  adds:  he  is  called  the  old  serpent,  and  is  the 
same  which  beguiled  the  woman,  in  the  beginning;  and  is  the 
carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity  against  God.  one  who  was  a  liar 
from  the  beginning. 

In  the  account  "of  the  Creation  of  Adam  and  Eve,  we  hear 
nothing  of  there  having  been  created  within  them  a  carnal 
mind,  if  they  had  such  a  mind  ;  but  according  to  Mr.  Ballou,  this 
was  the  fact,  as  they  could  have  derived  it  from  no  other  source, 
there  being  no  other  cause.  God  says,  respecting  them,  that 
they  were  created  very  ssood,  pure,  holy  and  upright ;  but  Mr. 
Ballou  says  they  were  at  enmity  with  God  from  the  beginning, 
in  their  lusts,  and  that  he  created  them  thus,  for  wise  purposes. 
This  doctrine  he  backs  up  on  his  book,  page  68,  Treatise  on 
Atonement,  by  saying  that  "the  Almighty  lias  a  good  intention, 
in  every  volition  of  man  ;  and  that  man  is  dependent  for  his  voli- 
tions, and  moves  (or  acts)  by  necessity/'  On  this  view,  no  blame 
can  attach  itself  to  the  characters  of  our  first  parents,  however 
deep  and  palpable  their  enmity  to  God  may  have  been,  no  more 
than  to  any  and  all  the  works  of  God  beside — whether  animals, 
trees,  the  waters,  or  any  of  the  elements  of  nature — dereliction 
from  right,  or  their  fall  from  their  primitive  condition,  cannot  be 
made  out,  on  this  view  of  the  subject. 

Mr.  Balloifs  belief  that  there  is  no  other  devil  in  being,  except 
the  carnal  mind,  which  is  found  in  the  soul  of  man,  ruins  the 
character  of  Christ,  as  well  as  of  Adam  and  Eve.  As  it  is  fol- 
lowed up  with  a  consequence  equally  horrible  with  the  one 
above  noted — that  of  our  first  parents  being  created  wicked  ;  as  it 
will  show  that  Jesus  Christ — of  whom  it  is  said,  that  he  was  with- 
out sin,  blameless,  spotless,  and  immaculate — had  within  him, 
and  as  deeply  fixed,  this  same  devil,  or  carnal  mind,  which  is 
enmity  against  God,  as  any  other  being  of  the  human  race. 
How  is  this  made  out  I  According  to  Mr.  Ballou's  opinion,  it  is 
made  out  by  St.  Matthew.  St.  .Mark,  and  St.  Luke,  when  they  say 
that  Christ  went  into  the  wilderness  to  be  /:  mpted  of  the  devil ;  or 
in  other  words — as  Mr.  Ballou  understands  them — went  into  the 
wilderness  to  be  tempted  of  his  own  carnal  mind  ;  which  he 
says,  is  the  same  devil,  old  serpent,  and  Satan,  which  sinncth 
-  17 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

from  the  beginning,  the  same  who  deceived  Eve.     This  is  back- 
ing up  the  Jews,  who  hated  Christ,  with  a  most  malignant  hatred 
— saying  of  him  that  he  had  a  devil  and  was  mad ;  for  Mr.  Bal- 
lou  makes  out  the  same  thing,  by  saying  he  had  a  carnal  mind ; 
which  is  the  true  and  only  devil  of  the  Scriptures,  as  he  believes. 
What  are  we  to  think  of  this  ?     A  people  claiming  patronage  of 
Christianity,  and  of  Christian  people  of  the  world  at  large,  and 
at  the  same  time  make  such  horrible  work  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  ? 
We  are  at  a  loss  how  to  express  our  sorrow  at  such  doings — 
such  mangling — such   barefaced  and  strange   perversions  of 
matters  of  fact ;  done  because  Universalists  have  struck  out  for 
themselves  a  path,  which  recognizes  no  devil,  no  hell,  and  no  day 
of  judgment :  as  these  things  are  too  frightful  and  appalling  to 
the  imaginations  of  the  wicked;  they  therefore,  must  and  shall 
be  rejected  from  the  code  of  Christianity.     This  plan  is  as  fitly 
chosen,  and  adapted  to  the  wicked  propensities  of  men,  in  their 
fallen  and  natural  condition,  as  was  Mahomet's;   who  taught 
that  heaven    abounded  in  sensual  gratifications,  in  the  fullest 
sense  of  the  word,  in  eternal  perpetuity.     How  do  we  make  this 
out?     Why  because  Universalists  teach  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  a  spiritual  supernatural  regeneration  of  man's  soul  in 
this  life,  to  fit  him  for  heaven,  as  heaven  is  sure  to  all  the  race 
without  it.     On  this  belief,  who  is  the  man  that  will  deny  him- 
self of  passion  indulgences,  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow 
Christ,  sorrowing  for  his  sins,  seeking  to  be  born  again,  to  be 
renewed  after  the  image  of  him  who  created  him ;  to  be  made 
holy,  suffering  persecution  for  Christ's  sake,  in  meekness  and 
fear?     No  man!  as  he  certainly  will  recollect  that  of  all  this 
there  is  no  necessity,  heaven  being  as  sure  to  Voltaire  as  to  St. 
Paul,  and  of  course  to  him.     It  is  impossible,  with  this  belief  in 
the  heart,  for  a  human  soul  ever  to  become  possessed  of  true 
Christianity,  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  the  word ;  as  the  whole 
great  scheme  is  withered  down  to  a  mere  selfish  morality,  and  to 
a  mere  nominal  belief,  that  men  ought  to  do  right  toward  each 
other— a  thing  as  well  known  by  Pagans  as  by  Universalists, 
without  the  aid  of  their  teachings — and  places  Christ  on  a  level, 
as  to  mere  human  nature,  with  Seneca,  Socrates,  Aristotle,  and 
all  the  philosophers  of  Greece  and  Rome,  either  before  or  after 
the  era  of  Christianity,  reducing  him  to  a  mere  teacher  of  mor- 
ality.    The  whole  stupendous  fabric  of  a  world  redeemed  of 
the  incarnation  of  God  in  human  nature — of  the  sacrificial  death 
of  that  sinless  human  nature  or  body — of  salvation  on  the  condi- 
tion of  faith  in  that  Redeemer,  from  sin  in  this  life  and  the  life  to 
come — of  the  new  birth — of  the  sanctions  of  the  law  of  God — a 
day  of  judgment,  and  a  final  hell  for  the  finally  wicked,  is  broken 
down  at  a  blow,  at  one  buffet  of  this  neutralizing,  stupifyiner, 
withering,  sophistical,  unscriptural,  son  of  infidelity,  Universal- 
ism  ;  and  all  this  because  it  is  too  humbling  to  the  proud,  wicked 


A.KOELG  Or  THE  SCRIPT  UREA.  ~*  O 

heart  of  man  to  submit  to  sue  for  mercy,  to  ask  the  pardon  of 
sins,  to  fear  God  on  , account  of  the  awful  sanctions  of  his  law, 
and  the  debased  condition  of  the  fallen  spirit  of  man  ;  a  smoother 
path  therefore,  they  think  they  have  found,  in  which  no  track  of 
a  devil,  or  smell  of  future  punishment  is  known ;  inviting  all 
men  to  enter  this  broad,  smooth,  delectable  highway,  and  rush 
with  them  through  the  broad  gate  that  opens  into  eternal  bliss, 
in  exact  opposition  to  the  declaration  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  said, 
» Straight  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  which  leadeth  to 
life,  and  k\v  there  be  that  find  it ;  while  wide  is  the  gate  and 
broad  is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be 
which  go  in  thereat."    Matth.  vii.  13,  14. 

I'h at  Jesus  Christ  was  naturally  as  depraved  .a  being  as  any 
other  man,  is  not  strange  for  Universalists  to  believe;  for  as  we 
have  before  shown,  they  hold  that  lie  had  a  natural  father,  the 
same  as  other  men,  and  of  course  was  of  necessity  as  depraved 
as  other  men  by  nature,  and  possessed  of  as  much  enmity  to  God 
as  other  men,  having  a  carnal  mind — which  is  enmity  against 
God — the  same  as  all  men  have.  On  which  account  they^deny 
the  presence  of  the  devil,  as  a  being  distinct  from  that  of  Christ, 
in  his  temptation  or  trial  in  the  wilderness,  as  unnecessary  to  the 
meaning  of  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke,  on  that  subject. 
But  if  Christ  had  no  natural  father,  but  was  an  incarnation  of  the 
deity,  then  he  was  not  a  fallen  creature — had  not  a  depraved 
spirit — a  carnal  mind — nor  any  traces  of  depravity — being  the 
second  Adam,  the  Lord  from  heaven ;  then  it  must  follow,  that 
the  being  called  the  devil,  who  tried  the  Saviour,  by  abuse,  dec, 
as  we  have  before  described,  was  a  distinct  being  from  Christ 
himself;  and  proves  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  a  supernatural 
Satan,  such  as  the  orthodox  churches  believe  exists. 

That  Universalists  believe  Christ  to  have  been  as  depraved 
and  sinful  as  other  men  of  his  time -were,  we  quote  Hosea  Ballou 
a^ain — see  Treatise  on  Atonement,  pages  50,  51,  52,  where  he 
is  endeavoring  to  make  it  clear  that  all  the  devil  there  is,  consists 
in  the  lusts,  passions,  and  carnal-mindedness  of  men  ;  which  to 
make  out,  he  quotes  the  Apostle — St.  James,  i.  14:  -When  a 
man  is  tempted,  he  is  drawn  away  by  his  own  lusts,  and  enticed," 
and  lie  then  adds,  that — "Any  person  who  is  wholly  dictated  by 
a  fleshy  mind,  may  justly  be  called  a  devil."  This  conclusion 
of  his,  we  now  apply  to  the  human  nature  of  Jesus  Christ,  viewed 
through  Mr.  Ballou's  reasonings;  who  says,  '-'when  he  hunger- 
ed, he  was  tempted  by  a  fleshy  appetite.  When  he  had  a  view 
of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  and  their  glory,  he  was  tempted 
to  avail  himself  of  them.  Here  was  natural  ambition  ;  such 
as  gave  rise  to  the  victories  of  an  Alexander,  when  he  was 
tempted  to  cast  himself  down  from  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple  : 
here  was  that  passion  which  gives  rise  to  presumption,  and 
wishes  to  avoid  duty."     Does  not  this  view  of  Christ  make  him 


276  HISTORY    OF  THE    FALLEN 

in  his  hearty  as  depraved  as  other  men: — equally  so  with  (he 
ferocious  conqueror  of  the  world,  Alexander  the  Great  ?  It 
most  certainly  does: — though  there  was  a  great  difference  in 
their  acts,  yet  at  heart  they  were  alike.  What  though  Christ 
conquered  these  passions,  and  would  not  allow  them  to  reign, 
yet  they  are  found  within  him.  according  to  Mr.  Baliou,  winch 
makes  him  just  as  depraved  at  heart,  as  any  oilier  man  ;  and 
depravity  is  sin,  and  corruption  ;  and  yet  Mr.  Baliou  calls  him 
a  sinless  being :  as  were  he  to  write  him  a  sinner,  it  would  be 
too  barefaced  :  the  people  would  not  bear  it :  yet  by  inference,  he 
makes  him  equally  wicked,  as  to  his  nature,  with  any  and  all 
other  men.  If  there  is  no  other  devil,  but  the  lusts  of  the  human 
heart,  then  indeed  was  Christ  a  depraved  and  corrupt  being,  as 
infered  from  the  writings  of  Universalists.  because  St.  James 
straightiy  says,  "When  a  man  is  tempted,  he  is  drawn  away 
by  his  own  lusts."  And  Christ  most  certainly  was  tempted  by 
the  devil,  or  rather  by  his  lusts,  as  Universalists  say.  Now 
would  it  not  be  far  better — more  modest,  more  wise,  and  more 
according  to  the  analogy  of  truth,  and  matter  of  fact — as  stated 
over  and  over  in  the  New  Testament — to  believe  in  the  existence 
of  a  devil,  rather  than  to  make  our  Lord — the  Saviour  of  all  that 
put  their  trust  in  him — to  be  a  poor  miserable  depraved  man,  the 
same  as  ourselves  are — full  of  lusts,  bad  passions,  and  appetites? 
Earth,  heaven,  and  even  hell,  answers  Amen  :  it  would  be  more 
modest,  more  wise,  and  more  according  to  truth. 

But  a  querist  may  still  wish  to  know,  what  St.  James  meant, 
when  he  said,  that  "When  a  man  is""  tempted,  he  is  drawn  away 
by  his  own  lusts  :"  as  if  there  is  no  other  tempter,  but  that  of  lust 
alone.  To  give  our  view  of  his  meaning,  we  will  suppose — as 
Universalists  contend — that  there  is  no  devil,  except  the  carnal 
mind,  which,  as  we  believe,  had  its  origin  in  the  fall  of  our  first 
parents.  This  carnal-mindedness  is,  in  and  of  itself,  ever  point- 
ing to  acts  of  hostility,  and  sin  against  the  law  of  God — even 
without  a  devil  to  tempt,  as  its  own  nature  is  enmity  against 
God,  and  cannot  cease  from  sin,  till  it  is  destroyed  in  regenera- 
tion, by  the  Holy  Ghost.  "We  wish  to  be  understood,  that  such 
is  our  view  of  the  fallen  and  depraved  state  of  the  human  race, 
that  they  will  sin  on,  even  though  there  were  no  devil  in  exist- 
ence, till  renewed,  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lord.  Yet  though  we 
believe  this,  and  that  this  was  the  meaning  of  St.  James ;  yet  we 
do  not  allow  that  St.  James  did  not  also  believe  in  the  being  of  a 
devil,  distinct  from  man's  lusts ;  because  he  has  himself  stated  to 
the  contrary— sec  chap.  iv.  of  his  Epistle,  at  the  7th  verse,  where 
it  is  written — u resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you" 
But,  says  one,  how  does  this  statement  of  his,  prove  his  belief  in 
the  existence  of  a  devil,  other  than  our  lusts?  It  proves  it  from 
this  consideration ;  though  a  man  resist  his  lusts,  and  over  anx- 
ious appetites,  never  so  much,  and  ever  so  successfully,  yet  they 


ANGELS  Or  THE  .SCRIPTURES.  277 

do  not  forsake  him.  nor  floe  from  him;  as  the  appetites  and  pas- 
sions of  human  nature  will  continue  with  us  as  long  as  life  lasts  ; 
religion,  if  we  have  it,  merely  controlling  them,  and  bringing 
them  into  subjection  to  the  law  of  God,  but  not  causing  them  to 
flee  away  from  us,  or  out  of  our  nature;  as  St.  James  says  the 
devil  will,  if  we  resist  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  as  we 
suppose  he  means.  If  the  Apostle  meant  to  say,  that  if  we  resist 
the  cravings  of  our  lusts,  or  appetites,  we  shall  overcome  them  ; 
then  it  would  seem  that  he  ought  so  to  have  written  it,  instead  of 
saying  they  will  flee  away  from  you.  There  is  another  reason 
why  he  never  could  have  meant  the  passions  of  our  nature  in  that 
text ;  and  this  is  it :  the  passions  and  appetites  are  many,  which 
cannot  be  spoken  of  but  in  the  plural  number  ;  while  St.  James 
has  used  the  singular,  the  devil — which  is  but  one  ;  and  besides 
this,  he  has  used  the  masculine  gender  he,  in  relation  to  the  be- 
ing he  speaks  of,  which  cannot  be  made  to  apply  to  the  passions 
and  appetites  of  men,  at  no  rate  at  all. 

But,  says  a  Univcrsalist,  the  whole  of  your  remarks  on  this 
subject,  so  far  as  they  relate  to  charging  us  with  believing  that 
Christ  was  a  depraved  being,  go  for  nothing ;  as  we  do  not  be- 
lieve depravity  exists  at  all,  except  in  sinful  actions :  now  as  we 
believe  Christ  did  not  si/i,  we  contend  he  was  not  depraved  ;  the 
same  we  say  of  all  men,  beginning  with  Adam  : — no  man  is  de- 
praved, only  as  his  actions  are  such,  and  contaminates  their 
influence  ?  But  to  refute  this,  we  proceed  to  show  that  all  the 
progeny  of  Adam  are  depraved  in  nature,  prior  to  actions ;  both 
from  Scripture  and  matter  of  fact. 

We  begin  with,  (Genesis,  vi.  5,)  -And  God  saw  that  the 
wickedness  of  man  was  great  in  the  earth,  and  that  ev  ry  im- 
agination of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continual- 
ly." Isaiah  i.  5,  6.  "  The  whole  head  is  sick,  and  the  whole 
heart  is  faint.  From  the  sole  of  the  foot,  even  unto  the  head, 
(spiritually)  there  is  no  soundness  in  it ;" — that  is,  there  is  no 
soundness  in  the  heart.  Jer.  iv.  14 — "O  Jerusalem,  wash  thine 
heart  from  wickedness,  that  thou  mayest  be  saved  :  How  long 
shall  thy  vain  thoughts  lodge  within  thee."  Jer.  xvii.  9 — "  The 
heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desperately  wicked. 
Who  can  know  it  .*"  We  answer,  none  but  God  can  know  how 
wicked  and  depraved  it  is.  St.  Paul  has  clearly  shown  the  nat- 
ural corruption  and  utter  depravity  of  the  human  heart.  See 
Rom.  hi.,  from  the  9th  to  the  ISth  verse  inclusive  ;  in  which  he 
has  made  no  difference,  even  between  himself,  the  Christian,  and 
those  who  had  slandered  them,  showing  that  all  men,  both  Jew 
and  Gentile,  were  concluded  under  sin,  in  the  estimation  of 
God  ;  his  remarks  are  as  follows  :  "What  then?  are  we  better 
than  they?  (by  nature)  No!  in  nowise:  for  we  have  before 
proved  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  that  they  are  all  under  sin.  As 
it  is  written :    There  is  none  righteous  ;    (naturally)    no,  not 


278  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

one  :" — as  we  understand  him,  since  the  fall  in  Adam.  "  There 
is  none  that  understandeth,  there  is  none  that  seeketh  after  God. 
They  arc  all  (the  whole  human  family)  gone  out  of  the  way  ; 
(in  the  fall)  they  are  tog-ether  become  unprofitable  :  there  is  none 
that  doeth  good  ;  (by  nature)  no,  not  one. 

The  same  doctrine  -is  taught  by  the  same  Apostle,  in  another 
place,  namely,  Romans,  viii.  7,  8 — "  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God  ;  (since  the  fall,  as  a  carnal  mind  did  not  exist  be- 
fore) for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can 
be;"  as  its  very  nature  is  the  exact  opposite  to  all  virtue.  "So 
then  they  that  are  in  the  flesh,  (that  is,  such  as  are  not  born 
again)  cannot  please  God.';  And  to  show  that  St.  Paul  means 
such  persons  of  the  human  race,  by  the  terms, — "they  that  are 
in  the  flesh?  as  are  not  born  again  :  we  notice  what  he  says 
respecting  believers  :  "  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the 
spirit,  if  so  be  the  spirit  of  God  dweli  in  you  :'*  and  yet  the  very- 
persons  who  lie  says  were  not  in  the  flesh,  were  mortal  men,  just 
such  as  himself  was,  and  every  body  else,  living  by  eating  and 
drinking,  according  to  the  common  course  of  nature.  So  that 
the  case  is  clear,  that  St.  Paul  believed  in  the  depravity  of  the 
soid,  heart,  and  spirit  of  man.  even  before  actions  are  put  forth, 
or  he  could  not  have  made  the  distinction  he  has. 

He,  St.  Paul,  long1  after  the  writing  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, did  not  forget  to  put  the  church  in  mind  of  this  fact, 
namely,  of  the  utter  depravity  of  the  race  of  man  ;  which  to 
prove,  see  2d  Cor.  hi.  5 — "  Not  that  we  are  sufficient  of  ourselves 
to  think  any  thing,  (good)  as  of  ourselves,  but  our  sufficiency 
is  of  God  :" — not  relying  on  the  cripple,  depraved,  and  corrupt 
energies  of  human  nature — since  the  fall— for  the  least  aid  in 
coming  to  God,  or  in  partaking  of  his  likeness  in  holiness,  and 
peace  of  mind. 

He  has  said  the  same  thing  in  his  writings  to  the  Eph.  ii.  1, 
2,  3,  confessing  the  helpless  depravity  of  all  mankind  by  nature 
since  the  fall ;  including  himself,  with  the  whole  multitude  of 
the  disciples  in  every  place,  and  admitting  that  himself,  with  all 
the  rest,  were,  previous  to  their  conversion  to  Christianity,  and 
change  of  their  hearts,  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  God.  The  man- 
ner in  which  he  has  expressed  his  belief  in  this  doctrine,  is  as 
follows  :  "And  you  hath  he  quickened  who  were  dead  in  tres- 
passes and  in  sins.  Wherein  in  time  past,  ye  walked  according 
to  the  course  of  this  world,  according  to  the  power  of  the  prince 
of  the  air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of  disobe- 
dience. Among  whom  we  also  all  had  our  conversation  in 
times  past,  in  the  -lusts  of  our  flesh,  fulfilling  the  desires  of  the 
flesh  and  of  the  (depraved)  mind,  and  were  by  nature  (after 
the  fall)  the  children  of  wrath,  even  as  others." 

This  doctrine  of  the  entire  depravity  of  the  nature  of  man, 
abstracted  from  the  assisting  grace  of  God,  is  shown  from  the 


ANGELS   OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  279 

statement  of  Christ,  which  is  direct  to  the  point,  the  same  with  all 
the  quotations  above  cited,  and  brought  to  bear  on  this  subject : 
see  Mark,  viii.  from  21  to  23 — :i  For  from  within,  out  of  the  heart 
of  men  proceed  evil  thoughts,  adulteries,  fornication,  murders, 
thefts,  covetousness,  wickedness,  deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil 
eye,  blasphemy,  pride,  foolishness.  All  these  things  come  from 
within."  It  would  appear  as  useless  to  add  more  evidence  of  the 
horrible  fact  of  man's  inherent  and  natural  depravity,  from  the 
Scriptures  ;  as  the  number  already  brought  to  notice  are  suffi- 
cient to  convince  any  man  of  its  truth,  except  such  as  have  deter- 
mined not  to  believe  it,  however  well  it  may  be  substantiated. 
Reason  and  matter  of  fact,  loudly  responds  to  this  truth  ;  for  how 
is  it  possible  to  conceive  of  depraved  conduct,  which  Universal- 
ists  contend  is  all,  except  the  heart,  the  soul,  or  wind  is  first 
arfucted  by  it.  Were  there  no  fountains  of  water  within  the  earth, 
there  could  arise  no  running  streams  ;  were  there  no  vegetative 
powers  in  the  ground,  which  act  on  the  seeds  of  all  trees  when 
buried  in  it,  there  could  arise  neither  bramble  nor  forest,  blade, 
nor  harvest;  so  also,  were  there  not  a  depraved  spirit  within 
the  heart  of  man,  there  could  arise  no  depravity  of  conduct. 

If,  therefore,  we  have  proven  the  natural  depravity  of  our  na- 
ture, we  will  return  to  our  first  argument  respecting  Christ  and 
say,  if  Christ  was  but  a  mere  man,  and  had  a  natural  father,  as 
Universalists  contend,  then  it  is  not  possible  to  clear  him  from 
having  been  as  depraved  a  being  as  any  other  individual  of  the 
human  family  at  heart,  although  he  did  not  sin  actually ;  for 
depravity  at  heart,  or  in  nature,  makes  out  a  corrupted  being, 
even  though  that  corruption  is  supposed  to  have  been  restrained 
from  actual  rebellion  against  God  and  his  holy  law. 

Now  as  all  Scripture  and  reason  go  to  clear  Christ  from  both 
sorts  of  depravity,  whether  of  the  heart  or  of  life,  it  follows  of 
necessity,  that  some  being  distinct  from  that  of  himself  did  tempt 
or  try  him,  in  the  wildrneess,  as  stated  by  the  three  evangelists, 
Matthew,  Mark,  and  Luke  ;  which  proves  the  real  being  of  the 
devil,  Universalists,  their  preaching  and  writings  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding. 


Further  Proofs  of  the  Being-  of  Satan,  as  found  in  the  New 
Testament,  of  the  End  of  the  World,  <$*c 

To  make  it  appear  that  Satan  is  any  thing  but  that  which  the 
Scriptures  most  evidently  assert  he  is,  Universalists  make  a  bold, 
and  free  use  of  Matth.  xvi.  22,  23;  in  which  it  is  stated,  as  they 
suppose,  that  Christ  called  St.  Peter,  Satan,  and  if  so,  they  seem 


290  HISTORY  OF    THE    FALLEN 

to  think  they  prove,  that  a  man  may  be  a  Satan.  The  account 
by  St.  Matthew  is  as  follows :  "  From  that  time  forth  began 
Jesus  to  show  unto  his  disciples,  how  that  he  must  go  to  Jerusa- 
lem, and  suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and  chief  priests,  and 
scribes,  and  be  killed.  Then  Peter  took  him,  and  began  to  re- 
buke him,  saying,  Be  it  far  from  thee,  Lord  ;  this  shall  not  be 
unto  thee.  But  he  turned,  and  said  unto  Peter,  Get  thee  behind 
?7ie,  Satan  ;  thou  art  an  offence  unto  me  :  for  thou  savorest  not 
the  things  that  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men."'  Doct.  Adam 
Clarke,  who  was  a  skilful  scholar  in  both  the  Hebrew  and  the 
Greek,  as  well  as  in  many  other  languages,  more  in  number  than 
was  ever  acquired  by  any  other  man,  says  the  words  in  the  He- 
brew are,  get  thee  behind  me,  thou  adversary.  The  question 
here  to  be  decided  is,  whether  our  Lord  did  actually  call  Peter  a 
Satan,  when  he  knew  in  his  heart  that  Peter  meant  to  be  his 
friend  in  the  most  ardent  sense  of  the  word.  The  language  he 
used  on  that  occasion  was  nearly  similar  to  that  used  by  him  at 
another  time,  namely,  at  a  time  when  Satan  tried  our  Saviour  in 
the  wilderness,  an  account  of  which  has  just  been  given.  The 
words  in  that  place  are,  " get  thee  hence  Satan?  But  in  the 
case  now  under  consideration,  the  words  are,  "  get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan,  thou  art  an  offence  unto  me." 

We  do  not  perceive  that  the  Saviour,  in  this  case,  called  Peter 
Satan,  or  adversary,  and  the  text  does  not  say  he  did.  The 
reader  will  please  to  notice  the  peculiar  form  and  turn  of  the 
words  the  Saviour  made  use  of  at  that  time ;  which  were,  "  But 
he  turned  and  said  unto  Peter,  get  thee  behind  me  Satan."  It 
does  not  read  that  he  turned  and  called  Peter  Satan,  but  tha?  ho 
only  said  unto  Peter,  &c.  Thus  we  understand  it,  the  Saviour 
turned  and  said  to  Peter  that  Satan  was  an  offence  unto  him, 
inasmuch  as  that  evil  spirit  was  the  author  of  that  thought  which 
Peter  had  just  then  unwittingly  uttered,  namely,  that  Christ 
must  not  die,  as  he  had  just  said  must  be  his  fate,  shortly,  at  Je- 
rusalem. It  appears  to  us  in  this  way  :  that  Jesus  turned,  and 
looking  at  Peter,  engaged  his  attention  while  he  said  "get  thee 
behind  me,  Satan ;  by  which  Peter  did  not  understand  that 
himself  was  meant,  or  that  he  called  him  Satan,  in  the  primary 
sense  of  the  word,  but  merely  felt  himself  reproved  for  uttering 
sentiments  which  he  in  his  heart  imagined  to  be  right  and  pro- 
per, as  he  did  not  then  comprehend  the  necessity  of  his  Master's 
death  for  the  world  ;  but  at  the  same  time  was  made  to  feel  that 
what  he  had  said  was  in  exact  accordance  with  all  that  Satan 
could  have  wished  might  not  take  place.  Our  Lord,  by  virtue 
of  his  omniscience,  saw  Satan  taking  advantage  of  Peter's  tender 
feelings,  and  love  of  his  great  teacher,  and  that  he  suggested  to 
his  mind  the  propriety  of  his  dissuading  the  Lord  from  subject- 
ing himself  to  death  ;  which  advice  went  exactly  against  the  per- 
fecting of  his  great  design,  which  was  the  redemption  of  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  281 

world  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself  on  the  cross ;  he  therefore  said 
unto  Satan,  "  get  thee  behind  me,  thou  savorest  not  the  things 
that  be  of  God."  This  care  and  sympathy  of  Peter  for  his 
master,  was  not  in  itself  wrong  ;  bnt  as  it  blinded  him  from  per- 
ceiving, that  for  this  very  purpose,  namely,  the  suffering  of  death, 
Christ  came  into  the  world  ;  he  needed  to  be  corrected,  as  we 
find  he  was.  and  Satan  rebuked  for  his  wickedness,  in  mislead- 
ing the  well  meaning  mind  of  Peter.  It  is  impossible  to  accuse 
Peter  of  being  the  malicious  author  of  that  thought,  unless  we 
can  believe  he  was  understanding!  y  an  enemy  to  the  plan  of  the 
atonement,  by  the  death  of  Christ,  and  had  of  set  purpose  deter- 
mined to  dissuade  him  from  such  a  determination.  And  there- 
fore, as  the  malice  against  God's  promise,  namely,  that  the  seed 
of  the  woman  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head,  and  also  against 
the  human  race  in  trying  to  prevent  the  atonement,  was  not 
knowingly  Peter's  ;  our  Lord,  therefore,  as  a  discerner  of  spirits, 
addressed  his  reproof  where  it  chiefly  belonged,  namely,  to  Satan, 
as  to  the  prime  and  moving  cause  of  St.  Peter's  remarks.  Now. 
if  the  Saviour  meant  Peter,  and  him  solely,  when  he  said,  "  get 
thee  behind  me  Satan"  we  find  Peter  did  not  so  understand 
him  ;  for  instead  of  getting  behind  him,  or  of  departing  from  his 
presence,  as  was  the  import  of  the  words,  he  still  remained  with 
his  master,  sharing  the  confidence  of  him  who  had  called  him  to 
be  an  apostle  and  a  minister  of  his  word,  and  even  honored  him,  a 
few  days  after,  by  allowing  him  to  be  present  with  him,  in 
company  with  two  others  of  his  disciples,  on  the  mount  of  his 
transfiguration.  The  reproof,  however,  was  no  doubt  given  in 
the  following  sense  :  Peter,  that  thought  of  thine  is  of  the  devil ; 
beware  how  you  give  it  place  in  your  mind,  as  it  savors  not  of 
God,  it  is  of  earth,  mere  earthly  selfishness  ;  cast  it  from  thee, 
and  know,  that  for  this  very  purpose,  to  die  for  the  offences  of 
man  on  the  cross  of  the  Romans,  am  I  come  forth,  which  your 
well  meant  tenderness  directly  opposes,  and  agrees  exactly  with 
the  desires  of  Satan,  the  great  enemy  of  mankind. 

That  the  Jews  in  our  Saviour's  time,  believed  in  the  being  of 
a  Satan,  as  a  bad,  or  fallen  angel,  we  prove  from  their  accusations 
against  our  Lord  ;  which  was,  that  he  cast  out  devils  by  the 
aid-of  the  prince  of  devils ;  see  Matth.  ix.  33,  34 — "And  when 
the  devil  was  cast  out,  the  dumb  spake,  and  the  multitudes  mar- 
veled, saying,  it  was  never  so  seen  in  Israel.  But  the  Pharisees 
said,  he  casteth  out  devils  through  the  prince  of  the  devils." 
Also,  in  Matth.  xii.  24,  and  Mark,  hi.  22,  the  same  charge  was 
preferred  against  him,  namely,  that  he  cast  out  devils  by  the 
power  of  the  prince  of  the  devils  ;  setting  forth  that  he  was  at 
most  nothing  more  than  an  accomplished  magician.  But  what 
said  Jesus  to  this  charge  ?  why,  that  "  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan  he 
is  divided  against  himself,  how  then  shall  his  kingdom  stand. 
And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by  whom  do  your  chil- 

18 


282  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

dren  (or  disciples)  cast  them  out,  therefore  they  shall  be  your 
judges.  But  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  the  spirit  of  God,  then  is  the 
kingdom  of  God  come  nigh  unto  you."  In  this  reply  we  per- 
ceive that  the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  the  kingdom  of  God,  are 
both  declared  to  exist ;  and  if  one  is  a  fiction,  on  a  mere  idea, 
why  not  both  ?  and  the  heads  of  these  two  kingdoms  equally 
fictious.  If  a  belief  in  the  existence  of  Satan,  and  of  devils,  as 
real  beings,  was  an  error  in  the  time  of  our  Saviour,  in  the  the- 
ology of  the  Jews,  then  did  our  Lord  omit  to  correct  that  error ; 
leaving  the  people  uninformed  on  this  subject,  and  never  insruct- 
ed  his  disciples  to  correct  it.  We  therefore  consider  the  point  as 
settled  and  established  by  unavoidable  inference,  the  most  satis- 
factory, except  to  those  who  have  made  up  their  wills  not  to 
believe  this  thing,  however  clearly  it  may  be  proved  from  the 
Bible,  and  such  there  are  in  great  abundance. 

But  if  inference  on  this  subject  is  not  esteemed  as  sufficient 
evidence  to  prove  this  belief,  we  should  imagine  that  express 
Scripture  is,  and  that  Scripture,  the  very  word  of  the  Son  of 
God,  who  certainly  knew  whether  there  is  a  Satan,  and  evil 
spirits,  or  not,  as  real  beings.  See  Matth.  xiii.  from  verse  24  to 
30,  inclusive.  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man 
which  sowed  good  seed  in  his  field :  But  while  men  slept,  his 
enemy  came  and  sowed  tares  among  the  wheat,  and  went  his 
way.  But  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth 
fruit,  then  appeared  the  tares  also.  So  the  servants  of  the  house- 
holder came  and  said  unto  him,  Sir,  didst  not  thou  sow  good 
seed  in  thy  field  ?  from  whence  then  hath  it  tares  ?  He  said 
unto  them,  An  enemy  hath  done  this."  But  we  ask,  who  was 
that  enemy  ?  Who  sowed  the  tares  ?  See  verse  39  of  the  same 
chapter ;  where  it  is  said,  that  it  was  the  devil.  But  on  the 
plan  of  the  Universalist  doctrine,  which  is,  that  the  evil  passions 
and  lusts  of  the  soul,  are  the  only  devil  there  is,  and  that  it  was 
this,  which  the  Saviour  said  was  the  enemy  who  sowed  the 
tares ;  it  will  then  follow,  that  the  tares  are  the  very  evil  passions, 
and  devil,  or  enemy  spoken  of  in  the  text,  and  that  they  sowed 
themselves  in  human  nature ;  which  thing,  it  is  impossible  to 
have  any  consistent  conception  of.  But  if  the  tares  did  not  sow 
themselves  in  human  nature — which  they  could  not  have  done, 
— then,  as  man  is  held  by  Universalists,  to  be  in  the  condition  in 
which  God  created  him  in  Adam  and  Eve, — it  follows  that  God 
was  that  enemy  who  had  sowed  the  tares  in  the  field  of  human 
nature,  if  they  were  sowed  at  all ;  and  that  he  sowed  them  for  the 
best  and  wisest  of  purposes,  namely,  for  the  great  good  of  the 
great  whole.  But  if  God  sowed  them,  it  follows  that  they  are 
not  tares ;  for  whatsoever  he  does,  is  right,  and  in  and  of  itself, 
intrinsically  holy ;  and  destroys  the  idea  of  the  existence  of  tares 
at  all,  in  the  field  of  human  nature,  as  he  cannot  create  a  sinner. 
But  in  relation  to  the  parable,  consisting  of  the  field,  the  hus* 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  283 

bandman  who  sowed  the  good  seed,  and  of  the  good  seed  itself, 
with  the  tares,  the  reapers,  the  bam  into  which  the  wheat  was 
to  be  gathered,  and  the  fire  which  was  to  burn  the  tares  at  the 
end  of  the  world,  were  all,  as  it  appears,  brought  forward  in  the 
form  of  a  parable,  which  even  the  disciples  did  not  understand, 
as  shown  on  verse  36,  of  the  same  chapter.  On  which  account, 
after  the  Saviour  had  finished  his  discourse  to  the  multitude,  and 
had  retired  into  a  house  near  by,  his  disciples  said  unto  him, — 
"  Declare  unto  us  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field."  To 
which  the  Saviour  replied.  "  He  that  soweth  the  good  seed  is 
the  Son  of  man:  ( meaning  himself)  The  field  is  the  world: 
(not  Judea  alone)  the  good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom : 
but  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one  :  The  enemy 
that  sowed  them  is  the  devil :  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  world  : 
(mundane  system)  and  the  reapers  are  the  angels  (of  heaven.) 
As  therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned  in  the  fire,  so  shall 
it  be  in  the  end  of  the  world,"  (not  of  Judea  alone)  but  when  time 
shall  be  no  longer.  Now  this  exposition  of  the  parable,  by  the 
author  of  it — the  Saviour  himself— who  certainly  understood  his 
own  meaning,  makes  it  clear  that  there  is  a  devil,  or  Satan,  who 
is  capable  of  corrupting  the  minds  of  men,  in  catching  away  the 
good  impressions,  which  by  any  means  are  made  upon  the  heart. 
That  he  is  capable  of  doing  this,  if  not  resisted  by  the  soul  in 
holy  prayer  ;  we  prove  from  Luke,  viii.  12 — the  influence  of  the 
devil,  as  follows :  "  Then  cometh  the  devil,  and  taketh  away 
the  word  out  of  their  hearts,  lest  they  should  believe  and  be 
saved."  But  if  there  is  no  devil  who  has  a  distinct  being,  then, 
as  it  appears  to  us,  the  language  of  Jesus  Christ  was  wrong ; 
for  he  has  pointed  out  a  being,  and  given  him  a  name,  a  person, 
and  identity,  as  plainly  as  language  can  speak,  and  has  shown 
him  to  be  his  enemy,  in  catching  away  the  seed  out  of  men's 
hearts,  which  himself  had  sown.  He  should,  however,  rather 
have  told  them,  that  there  was  no  devil  but  themselves,  who  were 
their  worst  and  only  enemies.  But  instead  of  this,  he  taught  an 
entire  contrary  doctrine,  by  telling  the  Jews,  and  all  whoheard 
him,  that  it  was  the  devil  who  came,  and  caught  away  the  seed 
out  of  their  hearts,  because  men  did  not  resist  him  ;  as  is  shown 
by  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament,  to  be  theirs,  and  all  men's 
privilege. 

Mr.  Ballou,  an  apostle  of  the  Universalist  order,  in  his  book 
on  the  parables  of  the  New  Testament,  gives  us  no  account  of 
this  enemy  in  that  parable,  who  sowed  the  tares  in  God's  field, 
called  the  world,  and  seems  to  be  somewhat  averse  to  med- 
dle with  him  at  all,  and  throughout  the  whole  work,  treats  him 
but  indifferently.  This,  he  should  net  have  omitted,  as  that 
something  called  a  devil,  and  Satan,  appears  to  have  been  in 
those  days,  at  any  rate,  the  prime  enemy  of  ail  righteousness,  and 
great  opposer  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  establishment  oi  his  s^ir- 


284 


HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 


itual  kingdom  among  men ;  and  so  much  so,  that  he  is  everywhere 
alluded  to  in  the  New  Testament  as  an  enemy. 

A  little  above,  the  reader  may  recollect,  that  on  the  subject  of 
the  tares,  it  is  said  they  are  to  be  gathered  and  burned  in  the 
fire,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  as  men  burn  tares  gathered  from 
among  the  wheat  when  harvesting.     Perhaps  in  this  place  it 
will  be  well  to  enquire,  what  world  is  meant,  at  the  end  of  which, 
it  is  said  the  tares  are  to  be  burnt  ?  whether  the  end  of  the  Jew- 
ish polity,  as  a  nation,  or  the  end  of  this  mundane  system,  the 
globe,  or  the  end  of  time,  as  it  is  well  known  that  Universalists 
believe  the  former  ?     In  this  enquiry,  we  shall  no  doubt  do  well 
if  we  can  explain  Scripture  by  Scripture,  so  as  to  find  out  what 
world  is  meant,  that  was  to  have  an  end.     On  this  point,  see  the 
following  quotations :  Romans,  v.  12,  "  Wherefore  as  by  one 
man  sin  entered  into  the  world."     Is  more  than  Judea  meant 
here  by  the  word  world,  think  ye  ?  Romans,  v.  13,  "  For  until 
the  law  (of  Moses)  sin  was  in  the  world."     Was  Judea  alone 
that  xcorld  in  which  sin  was  found,  till  the  law  was  given  by 
Moses  ?     We  think  not ;  as  Judea,  previous  to  the  law,   was 
unknown,  as  also  the  Jewish  nation,  by  that  particular  name. 
Romans,   x.  18,    "But  I  say,   have   they  not  heard!    yes 
verily,  their  sound  went  into  all  the  earth,  and  their  words 
unto  the  ends  of  the  xcorld"     In  this  quotation  we  find  both  the 
word  earth  and  world  used  as  synonomous,  and  means  more 
than  Judea ;  for  the  apostle  was  declaring  to  the  Romans  that  a 
rumor  of  salvation  by  Christ,  had  gone  into  all  the  world,  even 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  or  entirely  around  it,  among  all  nations. 
Mark,  viii.  36,  "  What  shall  it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world  and  loose  his  own  soul."     The  word  xcorld,  in  this  place, 
no  doubt  means  more  than  the  land  of  Judea,  even  the  whole 
earth.     The  same  is  said  by  Luke,  ix.  25,  "  For  what  is  a  man 
advantaged  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  loose  himself,  or  be 
a  cast  away."     This  word  world,  is  used  by  St.  Mark,  xiv.  9,  in 
a  sense  which  at  once  is  plain,  that  he  meant  the  whole  earth,  as 
follows  :  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  wheresoever  this  gospel  shall 
be  preached  throughout  the  whole  world,  this  also  that  she  hath 
done  (a  certain  woman)  shall  be  spoken  of,  for  a  memorial  of 
her."     Also,  St.  John's  Gospel,  chap.  i.  10,  the  whole  earth  is 
comprehended  by  the  word  xcorld:  "He  (Christ)  was  in  the 
world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  the  world  knew 
him  not."     Also,  St.  Paul  uses  the  word  in  this  sense,  as  com- 
prehending the  whole  earth  ;  see  Acts,  xvii.  24,  "  God  that  made 
the  ivorld,  and  all  things  therein,  seeing  that  he  is  Lord  of  hea- 
ven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in   temples  made  with  hands." 
Again,  St.  John,  hi.  16,  uses  the  word  in  a  sense  which  embraces 
the  whole  world,  instead  of  the  land  of  Judea  only :  "  For  God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever believcth  in  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  286 

life.  For  God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  icorld  to  condemn  the 
world,  but  that  the  world  through  him  might  be  saved."  Also, 
the  same  writer,  namely,  St.  John,  chap.  iv.  42,  has  used  trie 
word  in  a  sense  which  embraces  not  only  Judea,  but  all  the 
world  :  "  Now  we  believe,  (said  the  Samaritans  to  the  woman,) 
net  because  of  thy  saying,  (alone,)  for  we  have  heard  him  our- 
selves, and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Christ,  the  (conditional) 
Saviour  of  the  loorld."  Again,  1st  John,  iv.  14,  "We  have  seen 
and  do  testify,  that  the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of 
the  world,"  (conditionally.)  John,  xvi.  33,  "  In  the  world  ye 
shall  have  tribulation  ;  but  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have  overcome 
the  world."  Was  it  in  Judea  only  that  Christians  were  to  have 
tribulation  ?  and  was  it  Judea  only  that  he  meant,  when  he  said 
to  his  disciples,  be  of  good  cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world  ? 
We  think  not.  1st  John,  ii.  2,  "And  he  (Christ)  is  the  propitia- 
tion for  our  sins  :  and  not  for  our  sins  only,  but  also  for  the  sins 
of  the  whole  world?  Does  this  mean  Judea  only,  and  not  the 
whole  of  mankind  ?  St.  John,  xii.  46,  "I  came  a  light  into  the 
world,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  me  should  not  abide  in  dark- 
ness." Was  it  Judea  alone  that  he  came  to  enlighten  ?  We 
think  even  a  Universalist  will  not  admit  this,  though  he  loose  in 
that  respect,  the  restricting  of  the  word  world  to  the  little  country 
of  Judea. 

W"e  will  now  repeat  the  text,  which  we  are  attempting  to  ex- 
plain by  all  the  foregoing  quotations,  respecting  the  word  world, 
as  follows  :  uAs  therefore  the  tares  are  gathered  and  burned 
in  the  fire,  so  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  this  world."  Now  as  we 
have  shown  that  the  word  icorld,  in  a  multitude  of  places  as 
used  in  the  New  Testament,  cannot  be  restricted  to  the  mere 
country  of  Judea,  why,  therefore,  should  it  be  restricted  in  that 
one  text,  except  it  be  to  answer  the  Universalists  a  particular 
purpose,  in  making  out  that  the  end  of  the  world,  so  often  spoken 
of,  was  to  be  the  end  of  the  Jewish  nation  only  ?  which  it  cannot 
be  made  to  do  except  by  violence.  It  is  no  where  said  in  the 
New  Testament,  that  the  end  of  the  Jewish  nation,  as  a  people, 
or  ecclesiastical  body,  was  to  be  the  end  of  the  world.  It  is  no 
where  said  in  the  New  Testament,  that  Judea  was  a  world,  and 
that  the  destruction  of  that  people  was  considered  as  the  end  of 
the  world.  Could  it  be  found  any  where  in  the  Bible  that  their 
country  was  called  the  Jewish  world,  there  would  then  be  some 
countenance  for  the  Universalist  opinion  about  the  end  of  that 
world,  and  no  other.  Why  should  they  be  thus  distinguished, 
any  more  than  other  nations  round  about  them,  who  were  greater 
than  they  ?  That  an  end  of  the  world  of  mankind,  and  the  enrth 
itself,  is  to  come,  is  shown  even  by  Universalists  themselves,  inas- 
much as  they  believe  most  strongly  in  a  general  resurrection  of 
all  the  dead  of  the  human  race,  at  a  given  time  or  period.  Now 
this  being  so,  it  will  follow  that  the  earth  is  to  be  bereft  of  its 


286  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

inhabitants,  and  will  be  of  no  further  use  to  our  race ;  why 
not  therefore  allow  that  time  to  be  the  end  of  the  world,  so  often 
spoken  of  in  the  New  Testament  ?  and  why  not  allow  that  it 
may  be  burnt  up,  as  St.  Peter  has  declared  it  shall  be  ?  But 
no  doubt  Universalists  will  reply  that  St.  Peter  has  said  no  such 
thing.  Perhaps  it  were  well  just  to  look  and  see,  how  this  is. 
2  Peter,  iii.  6,  7,  as  follows  :  "  Whereby  the  world,  (not  Judea.) 
that  then  was  being  overflowed  with  water,  (which  was  Noah's 
flood)  perished.  But  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  which  now  by 
the  same  word  (or  power)  are  kept  in  store  and  reserved  unto  fire 
against  the  day  of  judgment  and  perdition  of  ungodly  men." 
Now  this  is  the  day  or  end  of  the  world,  which  to  us  appears  to 
be  alluded  to  by  our  Lord,  when  expounding  on  the  subject  of 
the  tares  to  his  disciples,  he  said  so  it  shall  be  in  the  end  of  the 
world,  namely,  that  of  the  wicked,  which  he  shows  to  be  tares, 
and  shall  be  cast  into  a  hell  of  unquenchable  fire.  Does  not  the 
similitude  used  by  the  Saviour  to  illustrate  this  case,  fairly  come 
to  this  conclusion,  namely,  that  as  men,  after  threshing  the  wheat 
of  the  harvest  from  the  chaff  and  straw,  burn  the  latter  with  fire  ? 
So  God  will  do  at  the  end  of  the  world,  or  harvest  of  the  judg- 
ment ;  separating  the  wheat — the  saints — from  among  the  chaff, 
which  denotes  the  wicked  ;  then  cast  the  latter  into  unquencha- 
ble fire,  as  the  text  reads.  But  Mr.  Ballou  seems  to  think,  as  do 
all  Universalists,  that  as  chaff  is  necessary  to  the  growth  and 
protection  of  the  wheat,  that  the  sins  of  the  human  race  are 
necessary  for  the  perfcting  of  the  saints ;  and  that  when  sin 
shall  have  answered  this  good  and  wise  purpose,  it  shall  then  be 
destroyed  by  the  unquenchable  fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  thus 
all  the  human  race,  especially  the  bad,  will  turn  out  to  be  wheat 
of  the  first  order,  to  be  gathered  into  the  garner  of  God  Almighty 
in  heaven. 

But  the  text  respecting  the  tares,  will  not  bear  this  construction, 
because  it  plainly  says  the  tares  are  the  children  of  the  wicked 
one — not  the  sins  of  the  wicked  one,  but  his  children — meaning 
sinners — not  the  sins  of  the  wicked,  separately  considered  from 
the  sinner,  but  the  sinner  himself,  is  that  child  of  the  wicked  one, 
and  is  in  the  text  called  a  tare,  or  base  weed,  injurious  to  the 
wheat,  and  fit  only  to  be  destroyed  in  hell,  as  the  text  reads. 

This  fire  which  is  said  to  be  unquenchable  destruction  in  the 
text,  and  in  other  texts  to  be  hell  fire,  Universalists  say  is  the 
grace  or  love  of  God  ;  or  in  other  words  is  the  purifying  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  on  the  soul  of  man,  and  is  the  only  fire  that  they 
know  of  which  is  unquenchable.  Can  it  be  so  ?  then  it  must 
follow,  that  the  vengeance  of  that  eternal  fire  which  St.  Judc 
says  the  Sodomites  are  now  suffering,  is  the  fire  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Is  this  true  ?  if  so,  then  there  follows  another  curious 
result — which  is,  that  to  be  purified  from  sin  by  the  fire  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  is  a  state  of  inexpressible  suffering,  and  that  without 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  287 

end  ;  for  St.  Jude  is  particular  in  stating,  that  the  Sodomites  are 
suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire.  We  have  always  sup- 
posed that  religion  makes  the  soul  happy ;  but  we  are  here 
instructed  by  Universalists,  that  it  is  a  state  of  suffering — unut- 
terable suffering — and  that  to  all  eternity ;  for  they  contend  that 
the  fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  only  eternal,  or  unquenchable 
fire  they  know  of  in  existence,  the  power  of  which  the  Sodomites 
are  now  suffering. 

But  if  the  Universalists  persist  in  the  idea  that  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  and  the  enslaving  of  the  Jews  who  escaped  the 
great  massacre  by  the  Romans,  was  that  fire  into  which  the 
wicked  Jews  or  tares  were  actually  cast  and  burnt,  we  have  only 
to  reply,  that  the  Christians  who  escaped,  fared  no  better  ;  as 
thGy  became  almost  immediately  the  objects  of  a  universal  per- 
secution, which  lasted  nearly  three  hundred  years,  during 
which  time  several  millions  lost  their  lives  by  all  manner  of  tor- 
tures ;  which  hell,  therefore,  if  it  is  all  to  be  confined  to  this 
life,  was  the  worst  ?  We  answer,  that  the  Christian's  hell,  by 
ten  thousand  per  cent ;  as  it  cannot  be  shown  that  the  Jews 
fared  any  worse  than  other  prisoners  of  war,  after  the  war  had 
ended  ;  while  the  horrors  and  distresses  of  the  persecuted  Chris- 
tians, had  scarcely  any  intermission  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years — so  that  the  good  seed  was  cast  into  a  tcorse  fire  than  even 
the  tares,  on  that  plan  of  interpretation  ;  and  cannot  therefore,  be 
the  true  one  alluded  to  by  our  Lord,  in  which  the  tares  are  to  be 
burnt  at  the  end  of  the  world. 


The  Subject  of  Rewards  and  Punishments^  whether  in  this 
Life,  or  in  another:  that  Mankind  are  to  be  dealt  with 
according  to  Character — examined.  A  Guilty  Conscience 
suffering  examined,  as  supposed  to  take  Place  in  this 
Life  for  Sin — with  many  other  curious  Subjects. 

If  there  is  neither  reward  for  virtue,  nor  punishment  for  vice, 
in  another  world,  but  both  qualities  receive  their  dues  here — as 
taught  by  Universalists — why  did  St.  Paul  (1st  Cor.  xvr.  19,) 
state,  that  if  in  this  life  only,  the  Christian  has  hope  in  Christ,  that 
of  all  men  they  are  the  most  miserable?  As  to  the  permanency, 
and  certainty  of  happiness  after  death,  Universalists  tell  us,  that 
St.  Paul,  who  spent  his  life  in  propagating  Christianity,  after  his 
conversion,  and  finally  suffered  martyrdom  at  Rome,  on  that 
account ;  and  Voltaire,  who  was  an  Atheist,  and  opposed  Chris- 
tianity all  his  life,  even  till  old  age,  are  equally  interested,  and 


2S8  niSTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

equally  certain — their  characters  making  no  difference  at  all,  as 
to  that  matter.  Now  according  to  that  sentiment,  a  hope  of 
heaven  after  death,  can  be  no  reason  why  a  man  should  be  vir- 
tuous here,  and  suffer  for  virtue's  cause :  as  that  happy  state 
after  death,  can  neither  be  put  in  jeopardy,  nor  made  surer  on 
any  such  account,  and  is  not  looked  to  as  a  result  of  a  well  spent 
life,  according  to  Universal ists. 

But  we  are  sure  this  sentiment  is  contrary  to  Bible  truth ; 
which  we  prove  by  the  following  quotations.  (2d  Tim.  iv.  8.) 
u  Henceforth,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge  shall  give 
me  at  that  day  ;  and  not  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also,  that 
love  his  appearing."  Now  as  St.  Paul  was  in  prison  at  Rome, 
when  he  wrote  this  Epistle,  out  of  which  this  quotation  is  taken, 
and  was  shortly  after  put  to  death  by  the  order  of  Nero,  we  are 
sure  that  this  crown  of  righteousnesss,  of  which  he  speaks,  and 
says  was  laid  up,  or  was  in  readiness  for  him,  was  not  in  this  life, 
but  awaited  him  after  death.  Could  Voltaire  have  said  as  much, 
and  rejoiced  at  his  death,  as  did  St.  Paul,  who  when  in  hourly 
expectation  of  being  put  to  death,  said  triumphantly,  "  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept 
the  faith  :  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness, which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at 
that  day?  Of  Voltaire,  it  is  said  that  he  died  in  horrors  unut- 
terable ;  but  of  Paul,  that  he  rejoiced  exceedingly.  What  made 
the  difference  ?  We  answer  :  their  different  expectations  after 
death  made  the  difference.  What  else  could  ?  What  a  pity 
some  wise  Universalis  had  not  stood  by  St.  Paul  to  have  checked 
a  little  the  exuberance  of  his  joy,  by  just  stating  to  him  that  his 
goodness,  his  virtue,  nor  his  having  kept  the  faith,  nor  his  having 
fought  a  good  fight,  could  possibly  make  any  difference  with 
him  after  death  ;  as  heaven,  and  heavenly  joys,  were  not  made 
surer  by  any  thing  a  man,  by  the  grace  of  God,  can  do  in  this 
life ;  and  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  rewards  in  heaven  for  the 
righteous,  more  than  for  the  wicked.  What  a  pity  some  wise 
Universalists  had  not  stood  by  the  raving  Voltaire,  as  he  lay  on 
his  dying  pillow,  to  have  comforted  him  with  assurances  of  hap- 
piness after  death ;  and  that  his  wicked  life,  which  had  been 
spent  in  opposition  to  Jesus  Christ,  in  ridicule  of  his  name,  of  his 
birth,  and  of  his  Gospel, — calling  him  an  illegitimate,  and  his 
mother  a  prostitute,  could  make  no  possible  difference  in  another 
world,  as  God  has  arranged  matters  in  such  a  way,  that  a  man's 
character  cannot  disqualify  him  for  the  enjoyments  of  happiness 
in  heaven. 

From  St.  Paul's  peculiar  manner  of  speaking  about  the  crown 
whicli  he  expected  to  receive,  we  perceive  that  he  had  it  not  at 
the  time  in  which  he  was  writing  about  it  to  Timothy,  but  was  to 


ANGELS  OF  TITE  SCRIPTURES.  289 

receive  it  at  a  certain  time,  or  day  ;  as  he  says — "  which  the 
righteous  Judge  shall  give  me  at  that  day?  But,  says  a  Uni- 
versalist,  I  can  tell  you  what  day  he  meant  easily  enough  ! 
Well,  we  wish  to  know  !  Why,  it  was,  no  doubt,  the  day  on 
which  he  was  to  be  put  to  death  ;  and  the  crown,  was  the  crown 
of  martyrdom.  Well  done  !  Was  that  the  crown  which  was 
laid  up  for  him  by  the  righteous  Judge  ?  O  yes ;  most  certainly ! 
Well  then,  who  was  this  Judge,  who  adjudged  him  to  die  a  mar- 
tyr ?  Was  it  God, — or  Nero,  the  crnel  and  wicked  Emperor  ? 
If  you  say  it  was  God, — why  then,  the  murder  of  St.  Paul  was 
right,  as  God  can  do  nothing  wrong  ?  But  if  it  was  Nero,  we 
then  arrive  at  a  certainty,  that  the  Judge  who  was  to  give  Paul 
his  crown,  was  God,  and  that  Nero  was  a  wicked  judge ;  because 
he  says  :  which  God,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that 
day;  and  proves  that  day,  was  not  the  day  of  his  death,  nor  that 
crown,  the  crown  of  martyrdom  ;  as  the  putting  to  death  of  Paul, 
for  the  sake  of  his  religion,  could  never  be  called  a  righteous  act ; 
and  therefore,  if  martyrdom  be  called  a  crown,  yet  it  was  not  that 
crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  righteous  Judge  had  in 
reversion  for  Paul ;  and  of  necessity,  extends  the  matter  beyond 
this  life,  to  arrive  at  the  crown  spoken  of;  and  therefore  amounts 
to  a  reward,  which  is  the  favor  of  God,  to  be  bestowed  in  heaven, 
on  account  of  the  merits  of  Christ. 

But  St.  Paul  says  that  such  a  crown  was  to  be  given,  not  to 
him  only,  but  to  all  them  also,  that  love  Christ's  appearing.  Now 
if  the  crown  there  spoken  of,  which  was  promised  to  all  the  dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  was  a  crown  of  martyrdom,  it  then  follows  that 
all  disciples  must  die  violent  deaths,  or  must  die  martyrs,  which 
is  by  no  means  the  fact ;  and  if  this  is  not  a  fact,  then  is  St.  Paul 
mistaken  ;  unless  this  crown  of  righteousness  is  to  be  had  after 
death,  and  is  to  be  given  them  in  consequence  of  loving  Jesus 
Christ,  and  looking  for  his  appearing  at  that  day — the  day  of 
final  and  general  judgment.  And  that  there  is  to  be  such  a  dayT, 
we  further  prove  from  Acts,  xvii.  31 — "  Because  he  (God)  hath 
appointed  a  day,  in  the  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  right- 
eousness, by  that  man  whom  he  hath  ordained.''  But  what  man 
was  that,  who  was  thus  ordained  to  judge  the  world  in  right- 
eousness ?  Was  it  Titus,  the  Roman  emperor, — and  was  that 
world  Jerusalem,  which  was  to  be  thus  judged  ?  We  think  not ; 
because  St.  Paul  says  that  God  hath  given  assurance  of  this 
thine,  the  judgment,  unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him, 
Christ  from  the  dead.  Therefore  it  was  not  Titus ;  as  he  was 
never  raised  from  the  dead :  and  if  Titus  was  not  the  man  who 
was  ordained  to  judge  the  world,  then  it  was  not  Jerusalem 
which  is  alluded  to  in  the  text  of  Acts,  xvii.  31  ;  as  it  was  Titus 
who  destroyed  that  city  and  nation  :  but  Jesus  Christ  who  shall 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness  at  the  last  day.  That  there  is 
to  be  a  last  day,  we  show  from  what  Martha  said  to  the  Saviour 


290  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  her  brother  Lazarus.  John  xi.  24. 
"  Martha  said  unto  him,  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again,  in  the 
resurrection,  at  the  last  day."  Also  John,  xii.  48. — "  He  that 
rejecteth  me,  (Jesus  Christ)  and  receiveth  not  my  words,  hath 
one  that  judgeth  him :  the  word  that  I  have  spoken,  the  same 
shall  judge  him  at  the  last  day."  John  vi.  39,  it  is  said  :  "  And 
this  is  the  Father's  will  who  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all  which  he 
hath  given  me,  I  should  lose  nothing  ;  but  should  raise  it  up  at 
the  last  day.  Also  in  the  same  chapter,  verses  40  and  44,  the 
same  thing  is  repeated  ; — "  And  this  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent 
me,  that  every  one  which  seeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on  him, 
may  have  everlasting  life :  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last 
day"  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father  who  hath 
sent  me  draw  him  :  and  I  will  raise  him  up  at  the  last  day." 

From  these  examples  of  Scripture  on  the  subject  of  a  last  day, 
we  conclude  that  this  last  day  is  the  one  on  which  St.  Paul  says 
God  would  give  him  a  crown  of  righteousness,  namely,  at  the 
time  of  the  general  and  final  judgment  after  the  resurrection  of 
the  just,  or  time  of  the  first  resurrection,  which  idea — that  of  a 
first  resurrection — is  taught  by  St.  Paul  himself:  (1  Cor.  iv.  16.) 
"  For  the  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout, 
with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God : 
and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first."  And  if  any  one  wishes 
to  know  how  long  first, — our  answer  is  :  a  thousand  years;  du- 
ring which  period  will  be  the  millenium.  And  if  they  wish  the 
proof  of  this,  please  look  at  Rev.  xx.  4,  5  :  "  And  I  saw  thrones, 
and  they  that  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto  them  : 
and  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness 
of  Jesus,  and  for  the  wojd  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worship- 
ped the  beast,  neither  his  image,  neither  had  receieved  his  mark 
upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands;  and  they  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years."  But  the  rest  of  the 
dead,  (the  wicked  dead,)  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand 
years  were  finished."  That  will  be  the  day,  the  time,  and  the 
moment  after  the  first  resurrection,  when  Paul  will  receive  that 
crown  of  righteousness,  with  al)  them  that  love,  and  look  for  the 
appearing  of  the  great  God,  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  or,  as  Uni- 
versalists  will  have  it — a  mere  man  ;  (Titus  ii.  13,)  which  will 
not  be  in  this  life,  but  that  which  is  to  come. 

But  is  this  Scripture,  as  above  presented  and  argued,  the  only 
one  which  proves  the  doctrine  of  rewards  for  the  righteous  in 
eternity  ?  We  believe  not.  See  Matth.  v.  12 :  "  Rejoice  and 
be  exceeding  glad,  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven,  for  so 
persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were  before  you."  Also  in 
Luke  vi.  23  :  "Rejoice  ye  in  that  day,  and  leap  for  joy  ;  for 
behold  your  reward  is  great  in  heaven  :  for  in  like  manner  did 
their  fathers  unto  the  prophets."  See  Collossians,  iii.  24  :  "And 
whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  unto 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  291 

men  :  knowing  that  of  the  Lord  ye  shall  receive  the  reward  of 
the  inheritance."  Now  what  inheritance  is  this  spoken  of  here  t 
We  answer:  it  is  heaven  ;  as  the  Christians  at  that  time  had  all 
they  could  have  on  earth  of  religions  happiness,  because  of  their 
faith  in  Christ.  But  as  the  Apostle  speaks  of  an  inheritance 
which  was  future,  and  which  he  called  a  reward,  it  follows  of 
necessity  that  the  reward  alluded  to,  was  not  to  be  arrived  at  till 
after  death,  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  This  hope  of  future 
reward,  was  all  that  upheld  the  Christian  church  at  that,  or  any 
other  age  :  but  especially  at  that  period  of  distress  and  persecu- 
tion. Without  this  hope, — who,  in.  those  ages,  would  have  em- 
braced Christianity,  when  they  knew  that  with  it,  they  must 
embrace  shame,  contempt,  poverty,  persecution  and  death  ?  But 
had  they  have  known  the  advantages  of  Universalist  opinions, 
namely,  that  heaven,  and  the  rewards  of  heaven,  were  just  as 
sure  to  the  wicked,  and  to  their  persecutors,  as  to  themselves, 
they  would  have  spurned  it  as  a  useless  system,  upon  the  great 
whole,  and  never  would  have  embraced  it  at  all.  Where  is  the 
man  now  to  be  found  among  the  Universulist  ranks,  who  would 
go  to  the  fiery  stake  for  his  opinions, — looking  to  the  recompense 
of  reward  after  death  ?  Such  a  character  cannot  be  found  ;  be- 
cause they  believe  that  both  the  good  and  the  bad  are  to  be  happy 
alike,  in  another  world,  independent  of  character. 

St.  Paul  in  his  book  to  the  Hebrews,  chap.  x.  34,  35,  has 
taught  the  same  doctrine, — that  of  rewards  in  Jesus  Christ,  in 
heaven  after  death,  as  follows  :  "  For  ye  had  compassion  of  me, 
in  my  bonds,  and  took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  your  goods,  know- 
ing ye  have  in  heaven,  a  better,  and  an  enduring  substance. 
Cast  not  away,  therefore  your  confidence,  which  hath  great  re- 
compense of  reward"  (in  heaven.) 

Now  if  there  is  no  such  thing  as  rewarding  religions  virtue 
in  heaven,  where  then,  was  those  disciples  who  had  been  des- 
poiled of  all  their  earthly  goods,  to  receive  this  great  recompense 
of  reward,  of  which  St.  Paul  speaks,  by  way  of  comforting  them  in 
the  midst  of  their  sorrows  ?  If  it  be  said — as  Universalists  will 
say— why  it  was  in  their  own  minds,  just  at  that  very  time, 
then  it  will  follow,  that  the  Apostle's  opinion,  expressed  as  fol- 
lows, was  of  little  worth  :  "  For  ye  have  need  of  patience,  that 
after  ye  have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive  the  promise." 
If  they  were  every  instant  receiving  that  recompense,  then  at  that 
very  time,  why  have  need  of  patience,  as  if  something  more  was 
in  expectation,  called  a  reward,  or  recompense  ? 

This  sentiment  is  taught  by  St.  John,  the  Revelator,  chap.  xi. 
18.  "  And  the  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and 
the  lime  of  the  dead,  that  they  should  bo,  judged,  and  that  thou 
shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the 
saints,  and  them  that  fear  thy  name,  small  and  great :  and 
should  destroy  them  which  destroyed  the  earth." 


292  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

In  this  verse,  all  the  prophets  who  were  dead  hundreds  of  years 
before  the  time  of  St.  John,  with  all  the  saints  in  their  times,  as 
well  as  the  times  of  the  apostles  themselves,  and  thereafter  to  the 
time  of  the  general  resurrection  or  last  day,  are  here  shown  \e 
be  in  expectation  of  that  reward.     It  is  impossible  to  interpret 
this  verse  in  any  other  way  than  that  of  a  reward  to  be  given, 
not  claimed  as  of  debt,  at  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  on  account 
of  the  ancient  prophets  being  named  among  the  rest,  who  were 
then  dead  ;  and  that  the  time  to  reward  them  in  the  view  of  the 
Revelator  was  in  prospect,  and  yet  to  come.     The  same  Apostle, 
in  another  place,  gives  the  same  idea,  though  in  different  words 
— chap.  xxii.  12 — "  Behold  I  come  quickly  ;  and  my  reward  is 
with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be." 
Now,  as  St.  John  the  Revelator,  did  not  write  his  book  of  Reve- 
lations till  about  twenty  six  years  after  the  destruction  of  the 
city,  and  temple,  and  nation  of  the  Jews,  which  took  place 
August  10,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  70 — it  follows  that  all  he 
has  said'of  a  day  and  time  of  judgment,  besides  the  text  we  are 
now  considering,  that  it  is  impossible  to  interpret  that  text  of  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  favorite  day  of  judgment  of  the 
Universalits,  unless  he  prophesied  backwards.     And  even  could 
it  be  shown  that  the  book  of  Revelation  was  written  before  the 
overthrow  of  that  city,  yet  the  text  could  have  no  allusion  to  that 
catastrophe ;  because  the  dead  did  not  rise  then,  nor  were  the 
dead  judged,  nor  were  the  prophets  rewarded,  nor  the  saints, 
and  ail  them  that  fear  God,  both  small  and  great,  who  had  suffered 
and  been  put  to  death  for  the  truth's  sake,  before  St.  John's  time, 
as  well  as  after ;  for  his  form  of  speech  in  this  verse  comprehends 
all  time,  the  whole  age  of  the  earth  till  the  end.     The  same  doc- 
trine is  taught,  as  we  apprehend,  by  our  Lord,  in  Matth.  xvi.  27, 
though  strongly  contended  to  the  contrary  by  Universalists.    The 
text  reads  thus :  "  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of 
his  father,  with  his  angels  ;  and  then  he  shall  reward  every  man 
according  to  his  works."     Now  what  is  the  glory  of  the  father, 
in  that  text?    was  it  the  pomp  and  martial  array  of  a  man ; 
Titus,  the  Roman  emperor,  and  his  fellow  worms,  his  soldiery, 
accompanied  with  somewhat  of  a  noise,  which  possibly  might 
have  been  heard  two  miles  at  the  farthest  ?     Was  every  man 
then  rewarded  according  to  his  works  ?     There  is  no  evidence 
that  any  were  so  rewarded,  in  the  moral  sense  of  the  word  ;  nor 
is  there  any  evidence  that  even  one  of  the  angels  of  the  Father 
was  seen  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem.     Or  if  we  say  those  angels 
may  have  meant  the  Apostles,  and  first  preachers  of  the  cross, 
yet  none  of  these  were  there,  as  they  were  all  dead  except  St. 
John  the  Revelator,  and  he  extremely  old,  and  far  away  from 
the  environs  of  that  city  at  the  time  of  its  investment  by  the  Ro- 
mans ;  so  that  in  no  sense  perceivable,  can  it  be  said,  that  tho 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  the  time  meant  by  our  Saviour  in 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES. 


293 


the  text.  As  to  the  idea  of  the  glory  of  the  Father,  in  which 
Christ  said  he  was  to  come,  see  Daniel,  vii.  9,  10 :  "I  beheld 
till  the  thrones  were  cast  down,  and  the  ancient  of  days  did  sit ; 
whose  garments  were  white  as  snow,  and  the  hair  of  his  head 
like  the  pure  wool  ;  his  throne  was  like  the  fiery  rime,  and  his 
wheels  as  burning  fire.  A  fiery  stream  issued  and  came  forth 
from  before  him  ;  thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  him,  and 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him  :  the  judg- 
ment was  set,  and  the  books  were  opened."  There  was  nothing 
like  this  seen  at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans  ;  Christ 
was  not  seen,  nor  any  of  the  angelic  hosts  ;  how  then  can  the 
text  we  are  now  considering,  describe  any  thing  more  or  less, 
than  the  day  of  the  final  judgment  of  the  human  race,  and  end 
of  the  world.  That  this  was  the  meaning  of  the  Saviour,  see 
what  he  said  to  the  high  priest,  who  examined  him  at  the  time 
of  his  trial,  the  evening  before  he  was  crucified  ;  when  that  high 
priest  asked  him,  and  adjured  him  by  the  living  God,  to  say 
whether  he  was  the  Son  of  God  or  not.  To  which  he  answered, 
"  thou  hast  said  ;"  which  was  as  much  as  to*  say,  /  am  ;  and  so 
the  high  priest  understood  him.  But  to  this  he  added,  as  he 
still  replied  to  the  high  priest,  "  Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of 
man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven."  If,  therefore,  this  means  his  coming,  as  Uni- 
versalists  say  it  does,  namely,  to  destroy  the  Jews  by  the  Roman 
sword,  then  he  should  have  been  seen  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of 
power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  at  that  time. 

But  in  further  proof  of  the  real  coming  of  Christ  to  our  earth, 
in  a  manner  which  has  not  yet  taken  place,  see  Acts,  i.  11, 
"  This  same  Jesus,  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven, 
shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  hea- 
ven." But  for  what  purpose  is  he  to  come  ?  Why,  to  raise  the 
righteous  dead,  and  to  destroy  the  wicked  who  may  be  then  on 
the  earth,  and  to  restore  the  world  for  a  thousand  years  to  a  con- 
dition of  moral  rectitude ;  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  is  to 
raise  the  wicked  dead,  and  to  judge  the  world  in  righteousness, 
and  to  give  to  every  man  as  his  work  shall  be. 

There  are  many  passages  in  the  Scriptures,  from  which  this 
doctrine,  that  of  rewards  in  heaven  for  the  righteous,  is  inferred, 
and  several  of  which  assert  that  it  is  positively  so,  as  already 
quoted.  But  we  shall  give  one  more  example  of  the  kind,  before 
we  leave  the  subject :  Mark,  x.  28,  29,  30 — "  Then  Peter  began 
to  say  unto  him,  (the  Saviour,)  Lo,  we  have  left  all  and  have 
followed  thee,  what  shall  we  have  therefore?"  Matth.  xix.  27, 
u  And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  is 
no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or 
mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lauds,  foi  my  sake  and  the  gos- 
pel'., but  he  shall  receive  an  hundred  fold,  now  in  this  time, 
houses,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  and  u^iicrs,  and  children,  and 


294  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

lands,  with  persecution :  and  in  the  tvorld  to  come,  eternal  life? 
But  St.  Luke  states  it,  "  in  this  present  time?  (or  life.)  chap, 
xviii.  30,  "  and  in  the  world  to  come,  life  everlasting?  From 
these  two  places — Mark,  x.  30,  and  Luke,  xviii.  30 — we  see  that 
the  words  eternal  and  everlasting  are  used  in  precisely  the 
same  sense,  both  meaning  one  thing,  which  is  eternal  life  in 
eternity.  But  as  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  temporal  part  of  the 
above  promise,  it  is  fulfilled  in  the  benevolence  the  Gospel 
prompts  in  the  hearts  of  Christians  toward  one  another,  and 
produces  those  fathers,  mothers,  sisters,  brothers,  children,  houses, 
lands,  which  are  promised  ;  but  at  the  end,  eternal  or  everlast- 
ing life. 

These  remarks  of  the  Saviour  to  his  disciples,  as  above  recited, 
were  occasioned,  as  we  find — Matth.  xix.  27 — by  a  question  put 
by  Peter  to  Jesus  Christ ;  and  this  is  the  question  :  "  Then  an- 
swered Peter  and  said  unto  him,  behold,  we  have  forsaken  all 
and  followed  thee,  what  shall  ive  have  therefore  ?"  To  this  he 
answered  as  above,  and  promised  them  as  a  reward,  for  having 
forsaken  all  for  his  sake,  eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come.  But 
says  a  Universalist,  the  world  to  come  there  mentioned,  meant 
the  next  age,  or  some  other  age  which  was  to  follow  the  time 
of  the  Saviour  ;  and  that  Christians  all  along  the  course  of  time, 
in  every  age,  or  in  every  world  to  come,  should  have  this  eternal 
life,  and  therefore  did  not  mean  after  death,  or  in  eternity.  Were 
this  a  proper  explanation  of  the  promise,  then  it  will  follow, 
that  the  disciples  to  whom  the  promise  was  immediately  made, 
never  realised  this  promise  for  themselves,  as  they  did  not  live 
to  the  time  of  the  next  age,  or  world  to  come.  It  is  of  no  man- 
ner of  force,  if  it  is  said  that  they  then  had  this  eternal  life  in 
them,  because  the  promise  had  nothing  to  do  with  that  present 
time,  so  far  as  it  related  to  eternal  life  in  them  then;  but 
extended  to  the  world  to  come,  and  then  was  to  be  fulfilled  or  no 
where.  And  as  the  disciples  to  whom  the  promise  was  imme- 
diately made,  did  not  live  till  the  next  age,  as  Universalists  inter- 
pret, it  follows  of  necessity  that  if  these  very  disciples  ever  re- 
ceived the  fulfilment  of  that  promise,  because  they  had  forsaken 
all  and  followed  Christ,  that  they  must  have  received  it  after 
death,  in  the  eternal  world,  as  a  reward  for  their  love,  and  for 
proving  that  love,  by  forsaking  all  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  his 
gospel,  which  reward  is  God  himself;  as  said  to  Abraham,  Gen. 
xv.  1.  "  Fear  not  Abraham,  lam  thy  shield  and  exceeding  great 
reward? 

From  a  review  of  this  subject,  it  is  clear  that  the  terms, — now 
in  this  present  time,  are  set  opposite  to  the  terms  world  to  come,  in 
which  eternal  life,  in  its  fullest  sense,  is  to  be  conferred  as  a  reward. 
But  if  eternal  life,  as  Universalists  hold,  is  the  natural  and  un- 
alienable right  of  man,  by  virtue  of  the  goodness  of  God,  as  a 
Creator,  how  can  it  be  held  out  as  an  incitement  to  virtue,  or  as  a 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  295 

reward  to  the  righteous  and  be  embraced  in  a  promise  in  that  light  ? 
It  is  inconsistent  and  impossible.  But  from  this  Scripture,  we  see 
that  eternal  life  in  heaven,  is  the  subject  of  promise  to  the  disciple, 
to  induce  a  belief  and  perseverance  in  Christ,  with  all  the  ben- 
efits of  religion  on  earth.  Who  can  deny  this  with  impunity  ? 
Yet  this  is  denied  (see  Notes  on  the  Parables)  by  Hosea  Ballou  ; 
who  says,  on  the  last  page  of  that  work :  "  Nor  is  it  believed  by 
your  servant,  that  any  passage  (in  the  Bible,)  can  be  found, 
which  speaks  of  rewarding  men  for  their  good  works,  and  of 
punishing  others  for  their  evil  works,  which  can  with  the  least 
color  of  propriety,  be  applied  to  the  state  of  men,  when  this  mor- 
tal shall  have  put  on  immortality,  and  this  corruption  incorrup- 
tion."  This  is  strange  work  :  as  Mr.  Ballou  knew  well  at  the 
moment  he  wrote  the  above  opinion,  that  Christ  had  said  to  his 
disciples,  (Matth.  v.  12,)  "  Rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad,  for 
great  is  your  reward  in  heaven,  for  so  persecuted  they  the 
prophets  which  were  before  you."  And  St.  Luke,  vi.  22,  23, 
says  the  same  thing :  "  Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  hate  you, 
and  when  they  shall  separate  you  from  their  company,  and  shall 
reproach  you,  and  cast  out  your  name  as  evil,  for  the  Son  of 
man's  sake ;  rejoice  ye  in  that  day,  for  behold  your  reward  is 
great  in  heaven"  Surely  the  doctrine  of  rewards,  and  that  in 
heaven,  is  taught  in  the  foregoing,  and  could  never  be  denied, 
except  by  such  as  are  theologically  mad. 

But  if  there  is  Scripture  to  prove  that  the  righteous  are  to  be 
rewarded  in  heaven  as  a  consequence  of  the  course  they  choose 
on  earth,  in  Christ  Jesus,  so  also  is  there  Scripture  to  prove  that 
the  unrighteous  are  to  be  rewarded  in  hell,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  course  they  chose  on  earth,  in  the  error  of  their  ways,  out  of 
Christ  Jesus,  and  in  default  of  all  virtue  ;  and  that  both  of  these 
conditions  are  in  the  invisible  world.  To  this  effect  see  Matth. 
xxv,  31,  32,  41,  46.  "  When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his 
glory,  and  all  his  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon 
the  throne  of  his  glory.  And  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all 
nations ;  and  he  shall  separate  them  from  one  another,  as  a 
shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats.  And  he  shall  set 
the  sheep  (the  righteous)  on  his  right  hand,  (approbation)  but 
the  goats  (the  wicked)  on  his  left  hand  (rejection.)  Then  shall 
he  say  unto  them  on  the  left  hand,  (the  rejected  ones)  depart 
from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  Jire  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  pun- 
ishment; but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal."  Here  life  eternal 
is  placed  as  the  opposite  of  everlasting  punishment,  and  conse- 
sequently  one  will  as  soon  end  as  the  other ;  for  in  the  original 
Greek  in  this  place,  the  same  identical  word,  without  any  varia- 
tion, or  shadow  of  difference,  is  used  to  express  the  unending 
nature  and  duration  of  both  conditions,  but  were  translated  eter- 
nal and  everlasting,  merely  to  avoid  a  repetition  of  the  same 


296  HISTORY    OF   THE    FALLEN 

word  so  near  each  other,  which  any  person  can  see,  would  not 
have  read  as  well  as  it  does  now,  and  by  no  means  was  intended 
to  alter  the  sense.  The  word  which  is  rendered  eternal,  is  in 
the  Hebrew,  olam,  and  in  the  Greek,  axon,  and  mean  the  same 
thing ;  which  is,  unending,  ever-during,  eternal,  and  is  there- 
fore applied  to  the  unending  Being  of  God — to  the  human  soul, 
and  to  the  judgments  of  the  Divine  Being. 

No  stickler  of  Universalist  opinions,  and  particularly  respecting 
a  limited  everlasting,  as  they  seem  to  believe  in,  will  deny,  but 
the  word  when  applied  to  the  ever  during  being  of  God,  is,  in 
the  fullest  sense,  eternal,  as  used  in  the  case  of  Abraham  ;  who, 
when  he  had  planted  a  grove,  called  upon  the  name  of  the  ever- 
lasting God ;  Gen.  xxi.  33.     The  following  quotations  are  of  the 
same  import,  and  equally  direct  to  the  point — Dan.  vii.  18 — 
"  But  the  saints  of  the  Most  High  shail  take  the  kingdom  and 
possess  it  forever,  even  forever  and  ever?  xii.  2,  3,  "And  many 
of  them. that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to 
everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt. 
And  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firma- 
ment ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness  as  the  stars  for 
ever  and  ever.     Psalms  cxii.  6.  "  The  righteous  shall  be  in  ever- 
lasting remembrance."     Isaiah  ix.  6 — "  and  his  name  (Jesus 
Christ)  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  mighty  God, 
The  Everlasting  Father." — xxvi.  4.  "  Trust  ye  in  the  Lord  for- 
ever, for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength."     Prov. 
viii.  23.  "  I  (wisdom)  was  set  up  from  everlasting."     Rom.  vi. 
22.  "  But  now  being  made  free  from  sin  and  become  servants  to 
God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness  and  the  end  everlasting 
life."     Gal.  vi.  8.  "  For  he  that  soweth  to  the  flesh,  shall  of  the 
flesh  reap  corruption ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  spirit,  shall  of 
the  spirit  reap  life  everlasting."     Rev.  i.  18.    "I  (Jesus  Christ) 
am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead ;  and  behold  I  am  alive  for 
evermore,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  hell."     In  all  these 
instances  of  holy  writ,  this  word  is  used  in  the  unlimited  sense. 
It  is  also  used  in  this  sense — 2d  Thess.  i.  7,  8,  9  ;  where  it  is 
written  to  the  afflicted  and  persecuted  Christians,  by  St.  Paul : 
"  And  to  you  who  are  troubled,  rest  with  us,  when  the  Lord  Jesus 
shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming 
fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey 
not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  Who  shall  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  (approving)  presence  of 
the  Lord,  and  the  glory  of  his  power  (in  heaven.) 

Mr.  Ballou,  in  treating  on  this  passage,  (see  Treatise  on 
Atonement,  page  183,)  endeavors,  as  appears  to  us,  to  wrest  the 
meaning  from  the  true  one,  and  to  fix  it  on  that  which  is  not 
true — as  follows :  he  says  "the  word  everlasting,"  in  the  text 
above  given,  "is  not  applied  to  the  duration  of  punishment, 
but  to  the  destruction  with  which  the  sinner  is  punished  :' 


▲N«ELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  297 

meaning  that  the  sinner's  sins  arc  thus  to  he  destroyed,  and  not 
Che  sinner  as  a  person.  JJut  a  careful  reader  in  Looking  at  the 
text,  will  perceive  that  the  sins  are  not  the  objects  aimed  at,  in 
any  sense  of  the  word,  (for  God  knows  that  sin,  as  sin,  cannot 
be  made  subject  to  his  law)  but  that  persons,  the  sinners,  who 
shall  be  punished,  &Ci  were  the  objects  of  the  text.  *SV/?,  as  nn, 
abstract  from  the  sinner)  is  a  perfect  nonentity,  and  could  never 
be  addressed  by  the  terms  who,  and  then — as  is  done  in  that 
scripture.  If  not,  then  it  follows  that  the  sinner  who  dies  im- 
penitent is  thus  to  be  endlessly  destroyed,  with  an  everlasting 
destruction,  instead  of  his  sins,  abstracted  from  him;  a  tiling, 
wholly  absurd  and  foolish.  We  will  repeat  Mr.  Ballou's  ideas, 
as  above,  who  says  that  the  destruction  named  in  the  text,  does 
not  apply  to  the  duration  of  the  punishment,  but  to  the  destruc- 
tion with  which  the  sinner  is  actually  punished.  And  what  pun- 
ishment  is  this,  which  he  thinks  the  text  means?  It  is  the  sin- 
ner's release  from  all  his  sins,  everlastingly: — for  he  argues 
that  the  flaming  fire  in  which  Christ  is  to  be  revealed  from 
heaven,  is  the  fire  of  salvation,  and  this  is  the  vengeance  he  is  to 
take  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  that  this  vengeance  is  every  day  accom- 
plished, when  men  become  Univcrsalists  in  their  opinion,  as  Ave 
presume  he  means,  with  all  who  hold  with  him.  Is  it  pos- 
sible ?  Does  the  context  to  those  three  verses  justify  such  a  be- 
lief? We  answer — No,  it  docs  not,  The  reader  may  wish  to 
know  what  the  context  is:  it  is  this  :  (see  verse  6  of  the  same 
chapter,)  "  Seeing  it  is  a  righteous  thing  with  God,  to  recom- 
pense tribulation  to  them  that  trouble  you."  Now  if  this  de- 
struction, or  recompensing  of  the  wicked  at  that  day,  who 
grievously  persecuted  the  Christians,  was  after  all  to  be  nothing 
but  salvation,  how  can  it  be  called  tribulation  ?  Surely,  it  can- 
not; seeing  salvation  is  not  a  process  of  suffering  :  yet  it  must 
be  so,  if  Univcrsalists  arc  rig]  it  about  the  meaning  of  that  passage 
of  Scripture.  A  terrible  vengeance  this!  and  a  most  happy  re- 
compense of  tribulation  to  such  as  opposed  themselves  to  the 
Son  of  God,  his  cause,  and  his  people,  and  thus  continue  to  the 
end  of  life.  Had  the  blaspheming  Jews  and  Gentiles  of  that 
day  known  this  thing,  with  what  surprising  fury  might  they  not 
have  rushed  upon  all  saints,  even  to  utter  extermination  ;  as  so 
much  the  more  would  they  have  exposed  themselves  to  the  ven- 
geance of  salvation,  and  the  righteous  retribution  of  a  sin-aveng- 
ing God,  in  this  way.  Tins  having  been  true,  what  a  silly  mass 
of  human  beings  wrere  the  multitudes  of  Christians  who  went  to 
the  death  for  Christ1s  sake  ,  when  if  they  had  but  denied  him,  as 
did  their  persecutors,  salvation,  equally  great  and  powerful, 
would  have  been  their  lot.  It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the  de- 
struction named  in  the  text,  was  not  salvation,  as  Universahts 

19 


29S  HISTORY    OF  THE    FALLEN 

contend,  but  the  final,  total,  and  eternal  damnation  of  the  finally 
wicked  and  impenitent  in  hell,  in  another  world.  It  is  out  of 
our  power  to  draw  any  other  conclusion  than  this,  however 
dreadful  it  may  appear,  if  we  are  to  argue  from  the  open  and  ab- 
solute phraseology  of  those  four  verses  of  the  1st  chapter  of  2d 
Thessalonians,  namely,  the  6th.  7th,  8th  and  9th. 

Wherefore,  let  no  man  deceive  himself  by  supposing  the  pun- 
ishment spoken  of  in  Matth.  xxv.  46,  is  to  have  an  end,  because 
it  is  found  in  many  instances  in  the  Scripture,  that  the  same 
words,  in  both  Hebrew  and  Greek,  have  frequently  an  accommo- 
dated meaning,  intended  to  express  no  more  than  the  natural  ex- 
istence of  the  thing,  or  subject  spoken  of,  though  arising  out  of 
those  illimitable  words.  Suppose  a  man  receive  a  deed  for  a 
piece  of  land,  which  promises  him  and  his  successors  the  ever* 
lasting  possession — the  root  of  which  word  everlasting,  when 
examined,  is  found  to  be  eternal,  and  consequently  the  fee  simple 
is  in  that  man  and  his  successors  to  eternity,  if  the  earth  endure 
so  long ;  and  is  therefore  used  in  such  a  ease,  in  its  accommo- 
dated sense  only.  The  everlasting  hills,  as  they  are  often  called 
in  the  Bible,  are  specimens  of  its  use  in  this  sense,  and  are  truly 
eternal  if  the  world  could  endure  so  long.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  servants,  who  in  certain  cases,  among  the  Jews,  were  to 
serve  their  masters  forever,  which  was  truly  eternal,  if  the 
servant  and  master  endured  so  long  ;  and  so  of  all  the  cases, 
where  the  word  is  used  in  an  accommodated  sense.  But  in  the 
case  of  the  goats,  in  the  parable  of  St.  Matthew,  and  other  Scrip- 
ture, the  word  is  not  used  in  the  accommodated  sense,  but  in  its 
direct,  and  highest  meaning :  because  God's  judgments  are  eter- 
nal judgments,  Heb.  vi.  2;  and  also  because  the  soul  is  an 
eternal,  unending,  and  undying  being. 

Now  we  know  the  time  alluded  to  in  the  above  verse,  namely, 
the  46th  verse  of  the  25th  chapter  of  Matthew,  and  other  Scrip- 
tures of  the  same  import,  is  to  be  the  day  of  general  and  final 
judgment ;  because  the  32d  verse  of  the  same  chapter  says, 
that  at  that  time  "  all  nations  shall  be  gathered  before  him," 
and  is  therefore,  to  be  at  the  end  of  the  world,  or  after  the  resur- 
rection ;  as  that  this  side  of  that  event,  there  has  as  yet,  been 
no  such  judgment,  when  all  nations  have  been  arraigned  and 
divided,  each  to  their  several  destinies,  as  described  in  that 
account.  And  as  we  find  in  that  account,  that  eternal  pun- 
ishment is  set  opposite  to  eternal  life,  both  to  commence  at 
that  time,  in  that  pecidiar  sense ;  we  prove  beyond  all  logical 
contradiction,  that  the  penal  punishment  of  sinners  does  not 
take  place  in  this  life,  any  more  than  the  whole  duration  of  eter- 
nal life  can  take  place  here.  Universalists  never  dream  of 
tell  in  or  the  people  that  eternal  life  is  to  have  an  end  ;  how,  there- 
fore, is  it  that  they  teach,  that  eternal  death  shall  have  an  end  ; 


A.NGELS  OF  THE  •CRIPTURES  299 

as  both  tliese  ideas  are  certainly  taught  in  the  Bible,  as  in  the 
texts  above  argued,  and  in  many  other  places.  t  But  as  it  is 
-said,  "these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  (or  eternal)  punish- 
ment," it  is  proper  to  enquire  of  what  this  punishment  is  to 
consist,  or  what  the  instrument  is?  The  answer  to  this  is  at 
hand,  in  a  multitude  of  places,  though  in  this  place  we  will 
notice  but  sue,  which  may  settle  the  point  as  easily  as  an  hund- 
red ;  see  the  41st  verse  of  the  same  25th  chapter  of  St.  Matthew : 
Ji  Then  shall  he  say  unto  them  on  the  left  hand,  depart  from 
me  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  (or  eternal)  fire  prepared  for 
lie  devil  and  his  angels,1''  Surely  this  language  is  rather  too 
strong,  if  it  is  as  Universalists  tell  us,  namely,  that  this  eternal 
fire  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  destruction  of  the  Jews 
by  the  Romans.  But  a  common  man,  under  the  dictates  of  his 
reason,  in  reading  it  over,  would  never  come  to  such  a  conclu- 
sion ;  and  no  man  ever  would,  had  it  not  have  been  that  the 
wise  <ones  -of  the  Universalist  order,  have  found  out  that  God 
talks  to  the  human  race  a  great  deal  larger  and  more  terrible 
than  he  really  means. 

Cut  according  to  Mr.  Baliou's  opinion  of  tire  fire  here  said 
to  be  everlasting,  which  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels,  it  is  nothing  less  nor  more  than  salvalio?i,  as  he  says, 
he  knows  of  no  other  eternal  or  everlasting  fire  but  that  of 
God's  love,  as  we  have  before  shown.  According  to  this 
view,  the  text  above  should  be  read  thus :  depart  ye  cursed 
into  everlasting  salvation,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  an- 
gels ;  for  I  was  hungry  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat,  naked  and 
ye  clothed  me  not,  sick  and  in  prison  and  ye  came  not  unto 
me,  enter  therefore,  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord.  To  show 
-again  that  this  is  the  belief  of  Universalists,  namely,  that  there 
is  no  other  unquenchable  fire  in  existence  but  God's  love  only, 
we  quote  Mr.  Baliou's  Treatise  on  Atonement,  page  164,  as 
follows ;  u  What  but  the  nature  of  God  can  be  justly  called 
unquenchable  fire  ?  If  any  other  principle  in  the  universe  can 
justly  bear  that  appellation,  it  must  be  equal,  if  not  superior, 
to  God  himself  An  apostle  says,  our  God  is  a  consuming 
fire,  and  I  must  consider  it  erroneous  to  believe  that  this  fire 
is  quenchable,  or  that  there  is  more  unquenchable  fires  than 
one"  Hence  when  it  is  said — as  in  Matthew's  description 
of  the  great  and  last  day,  the  end  of  the  world,  when  God 
shall  bring  into  judgment  every  man's  works — "Depart  ye 
cursed  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels,"  we  are  to  understand  that  the  wicked  are  to  go  away 
into  God,  or  into  eternal  life  and  salvation,  the  devil  and  all 
ins  followers  together.  This  same  fire,  is  in  other  parts  of 
the  New  Testament,  called  hell  fire,  and  is  shown  to  be  a 
state   of  punishment ;   yet,  if  Mr.  Ballou   is  right,  we  are   to 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

believe  that  this  hell  fire  is  the  same  that  Christ  should  bap- 
tise his  disciples  with,  according  to  the  statement  of  John  the 
Baptist,  and  was   the  Holy  Ghost.     See   Treatise  on  Atone 
ment,  page  162. 

But  if  the  fire  into  which  the  wicked,  who  are  described  by 
the  figure  of  the  goats,  are  to  depart,  and  is  called  everlasting, 
is  after  all  nothing  but  the  fire  of  salvation,  we  learn  another 
singular  consequence  ;  which  is  this,  that  even  the  devil,  which 
is  nothing  but  the  carnal  mind,  is  also  to  be  saved,  as  welt 
as  others ;  for  we  must  not  omit  to  observe,  that  this  fire  of 
salvation  was  prepared  as  much  for  the  devil,  (carnal  mind) 
as  for  the  wicked,  and  much  more  so,  for  it  is  said  in  the 
text  that  it  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  prima- 
rily. Accordingly,  the  carnal  mind,  which  is  enmity  against 
God,  and  can  never  be  made  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  as 
stated  by  St.  Paul,  is,  nevertheless,  to  be  saved  in  this  sal- 
vation fire,  according  to  the  premises  laid  down  by  the  best 
writers  of  the  Universalis!  order.  But  in  order  to  avoid  the 
above  foolish  conclusions,  Universalis  will  say,  that  the  fire — 
which  in  the  text  is  said  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  an- 
gels— was  nothing  but  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans.  This  is  refuted,  however,  when  it  is  recollected  that 
the  text  says  at  that  time  all  nations  shall  be  gatlicred,  (Matth." 
xxv.  32.)  which  all  men  know,  was  not  the  case  at  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem. 

But  say  they,  this  eternal  fire  punishment  is  an  unmerciful 
punishment,  and  therefore  is  not  true.  That  it  is  an  unmer- 
ciful punishment,  we  most  readily  admit,  as  it  is  to  be  entirely 
pencil^  and  in  no  wise  mixed  with  discipline  or  mercy.  Were 
there  mercy,  or  discipline,  mixed  with  that  state  of  punish- 
ment, then  were  there  hope  in  the  eas3,  and  this  hope  would 
disarm  that  punishment  of  its  ivorst  feature,  and  cause  it  so 
much  the  less  to  be  feared.  All  providential  sufferings,  trials, 
afflictions,  and  sorrows  of  this  life,  whether  endured  by  the 
good  or  the  bad,  are  undoubtedly  disciplinary,  and  mixed 
with  mercy,  and  designed  as  parental  corrections ;  but  that 
which  is  to  take  place  at  the  end  of  the  world,  according  to 
the  Bible,  is  to  be  without  mixture,  without  hope,  without 
mercy,  and  of  necessity,  without  end,  not  intended  as  disci- 
plinary at  all,  but  wholly  penal,  fatal  and  final.  That  such 
is  to  be  the  fact,  see  Revelations  xiv.  9,  10,  as  follows  :  'And 
the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If 
any  man  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receive  his 
mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the  same  shall  drink 
of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  poured  out  with- 
out mixture  (of  discipline)  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation, 
and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone   (not  sal- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  301 

valion)    in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  pres 
enee  of  the  Lamb;    and  the  smoke  of  their  torment    (not  sal- 
vation)  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever"     The  same  writer, 
ill.-  Revelator,  in  another  place,  teaches  the  same  thing,    (see 
chapter  21,  verse  S,)    "But  the  fearful  and  unbelieving,  and 
the  abominable  and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sor- 
cerers, and  idolators,  and  all  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the 
lake  which  burneth  with   fire  and   brimstone,  which  is  the 
second  death"     Was  that  lake  of  (ire  and  hrimstone  the  des- 
truction of  the  Jews  by  the  Romans?  and  was  that  occurrence 
the  seeond  death,  of  which  St.  John  here  speaks?     If  so,  the 
language  is  too  strong  for  the  event.     If  it  be  enquired,  what 
7,  or  what  benefit,  can  arise  out  of  this  unmerciful  and  eter- 
nal punishment  of  the  finally  impenitent?  we  answer  none  at 
all,  as  to  the  sufferer,  as  that  is  not  the  design:  but  in  relation 
to  the  government  of  God,  immense  and  infinite  good  is  eifect- 
ed;  as  by  it  the  veracity  of  God,  and  his  opposedness  to  sin 
and  moral  dereliction,  is  made   manifest  in  the   sight  of  all 
worlds,  and  of  all  intelligences.     Were  it  not  so,  he  would  ap- 
pear as  being  indifferent  to  the  actions  of  his  creatures,  which 
would  be  an  end  of  his  government.     Which,  we  ask,  is  of  the 
most  importance,  the  wicked  soul  of  a  man,  who  has  during  a 
day  of  grace    (his  life  time)    outraged  all   laws,  human  and 
divine,  and  passed  into  eternity  covered  with  moral  defilement ; 
or  the  truth  and  veracity  of  God  7     Most  certainly  the  latter; 
for  if  God  is  not  found  true  to  his  word,  and  opposed  to  sin 
in   the  utmost  extent,  without   the  least  allowance  or  pallia- 
tion, there  is  an  end  to  all  being,  and  in  a  moment  the  whole 
universe   would   cease  to  exist;    as  a  God  of  falsehood,  who 
connives  at  sin,  calling  it  best  upon  the  whole,  could  not  up- 
hold either  himself  or  his  works,  and  would  at  once  become 
an  object  of  abhorence  to  every  intellectual  creature.     If  there 
is  not  sufficient  penal  exaction  attached  to  a  breach  of  moral 
law,  then  is  moral  law  of  no  force,  any  more  than  if  it  did  not 
exist ;  and  God  is  found  indifferent  as  to  the  actions  of  his  crea- 
tures, which  is  impossible  even  to  conceive  of  without  a  shudder. 
Is  mercy  an  ingredient  in  penal  law,  as  known  and  administered 
even  among  men  ?     It  is  not ;  and  shall  we  calculate  that  there 
is  less  energy  in  the  law  or  government  of  God  than  in  the 
government  of  men 7     Has  it  ever  yet  appeared  that  the  inflic- 
tion of  capital  penal   laws  of  either   God  or  men,  aim   at  the 
reformation  of  delinquents?     There  can  be  no  such  thing,  as 
\\\r  very  nature  of  prohibitory  law  forbids  it:  if  mercy  is  extend- 
ed to  delinquents  at  all.  it  is  not  extended  in  virtue  of  such  law, 
.iii*  1   must  reach  the  sinner  on  the  behalf  of  atonement,  if  it 
reaches  him  at  all ;  as  law  must  and  will  have  its  honor,  either 
in  atonement  or  in  penal  execution. 


303  III3TORY   OF    THE    FALLEN 

But  still  the  objector  cannot  see  the  reasonableness  nor  the 
propriety,  of  endless  punishment  being  threatened,  or  executed  : 
when  that  same  objector  can  but  see,  that  anything  short  of 
such  threatenings,  and  of  such  execution,  would  be  without 
adequate  energy,  and  would  unnerve  the  arm  that  holds  the 
reign  of  universal  government,  on  account  of  a  mixture  of 
merciful  inefficiency";  and  would  lessen  the  reason  why  men 
and  angels  should  not  sin.     Is  it  unreasonable  that  God  should 
ordain,  that   heaven  and   bell  should   be  the  moral  antipode 
of  each  other? — and   indeed,  is  not   this   their  natural  posi- 
tions ?     If  heaven  is  a  place  of  exquisite  happiness,  why  not, 
therefore,  hell  a  place  of  exquisite  misery  ?     Should  not  God 
hold   the   great  balance  of  the  universe,  in   his   adjudication 
of  law  in  holy  equipoise  ?     It  is  of  no  force  that  the  objector 
still  continues   to   reiterate   that   he   cannot  see  the  propriety 
of  endless  punishment,  and  will  not,  therefore,  believe  it.     Can 
he  see   (allow  us  to  enquire,)    the  propriety  of  endless  hap- 
piness,  any  better   than   he   can  the  other  side  of  the  ques- 
tion ?     No,  not  a  whit — surfer  us  to  answer — only,  as  happi- 
ness is  more  agreeable  to  the  imagination,  he  therefore  receives 
it,  without  staying  to  consider  its'  abstract  propriety.     Is  there 
any  thing  in  man  which  gives  him  a  claim  to  eternal  hap- 
piness ?     No, — is   the   universal   answer.     How   then   can   its 
propriety  and  agreement  with  justice  appear,  so  as  to  be  com- 
prehended by  man  ?     Please  to  observe,  that  we  do  not  object 
to   eternal   happiness  as  being  inconsistent,  because  we  have 
no  equitable  claim  for  such  a  condition ;  yet  such  is  the  lim- 
ited condition  of  our  perceptions,  that  the  utmost  fitness  and 
propriety  of  eternal  salvation,  cannot  be  reached  by  us  ;  as  it 
requires  even  the  mind  of  God  fully  to  know  and  understand 
the  things  of  God,  and  the  reason  of  the  vast  amount  of  eternal 
happiness.     We  might,  therefore,  as  well  deny  the  fact  of  ever- 
lasting life,  because  we  cannot  understand  the  utmost  propriety 
thereof,  as  to  deny  the  fact  of  eternal  misery  merely  because  we 
cannot  see  its  agreement  with  the  awful  judgment  of  God  in  its 
fullest  extent. 

We  have  said  above  that  there  is  nothing  in  man  which 
gives  him  a  claim  on  God  to  eternal  happiness,  and  that  all 
agree  to  this ;  yet  we  ought  to  exempt  Universalists,  for  they 
believe  happiness  after  death,  to  be  an  unalienable  inheritance, 
founded  on  the  goodness  of  God  as  our  Creator,  and  not  any 
thing  which  Christ  has  done,  as  meritorious  for  us;  conse- 
quently, we  have  a  natural  right  to  a  place  in  heaven,  which  no 
moral  aberration  of  ours  can  in  the  least  effect.  With  this  view, 
it  is  impossible  for  this  people  to  believe  in  punishment  at  all, 
except  it  be  disciplinary  punishment,  designed  to  amend  the 
character,  and  finally  will  have  this  effect,  as  they  suppose,  in 
this  world  or  no  where. 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTt'RES. 


303 


It  is  therefore  our  belief,  that  (Jniversalists  do  not  believe  the 
doctrine  of  universal  and  unconditional  salvation,  merely  because 
they  cannot  see  the  impropriety  of  eternal  punishment,  bin 
because  it  is  more  agreeable  to  the  lazy,  stupid  feelings  of 
poor  miserable  fallen  human  nature,  which  hates  the  labor  of 
improvement,  and  of  working  out  (one's)  salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling.''  On  this  great  and  dreadful  subject,  the  punishment 
of  the  wicked  after  death,  see  Hebrews  x.  28,  29,  from  whence 
it  appears  impossible  that  any  other  conclusion  can  be  made 
out,  than  that  such  a  doctrine  is  true,  however  much  it  may 
be  opposed  by  such  as  arc  interested  to  do  so.  The  passage 
is  as  follows: — "He  that  despised  Moses'  law  died  without 
mercy  under  two  or  three  witnesses :  of  how  much  sorer 
punishment,  suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy  (of)  who< 
hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted 
the  blood  of  the  covenant,  wherewith  lie  was  sanctified  (or 
redeemed)  an  unholy  thing,  and  done  despite  unto  the  spirit 
of  grace."  Death,  it  appears,  was  the  sorest  punishment  that 
could  be  inflicted  for  any  breach  of  the  law  of  Moses  this  side 
eternity. 

Now  if  all  sin  is  punished  here  in  this  life,  how  is  it  that  St. 
Paul  has  supposed  it  possible  that  a  sorer  punishment  should  be 
thought  proper  to  be  inflicted  upon  such,  than  death?  although 
the  sin  committed  is  a  thousand  times  more  horrible  than  to 
despise  and  break  the  law  of  Moses,  before  the  time  of  Christ, 
unless  we  believe  he  means  punishment  after  death,  even  the 
damnation  of  the  soul  ? 

If  it  were  within  the  jurisdiction  of  Christianity,  to  punish 
with  death,  blasphemy,  or  any  other  sin,  such  as  to  count  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  an  unholy  thing,  how  would  a  man  go 
to  work  to  make  out  a  sorer  punishment  than  death  after  all ; 
so  that  he  who  should  be  guilty  of  treading  under  foot  the 
blood  of  the  Atonement,  by  saying,  as  some  have  said,  that 
the  blood  of  Christ  is  no  better  than  the  blood  of  a  dog  toward 
salvation,  would  go  free  of  a  part  of  due  punishment ;  because 
temporal  death,  in  such  a  case,  could  not  reach  the  extent 
and  turpitude  of  the  crime,  as  it  could  in  the  case  of  the  out- 
raged law  of  Moses,  so  far  as  it  related  to  that  law  in  the  light 
of  a  human  tribunal.  So  that  we  are  here  compelled  to  go  into 
eternity  with  the  culprit,  for  that  sorer  punishment,  which  St. 
Paul  thought  was  due  for  that  sin  which  could  not  be  committed 
under  the  law  of  Moses,  for  Christ  had  not  then  shed  his  blood 
for  man. 

But  it  may  be  objected  to  the  above  conclusion,  that  there  is 
no  need  of  going  into  eternity  for  that  sorer  punishment,  in 
such  a  case  of  sin ;  as  that  a  suffering  conscience,  for  a  while  in 
this  life,  would  be  far  worse  even  than  death.     But  whether 


301  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

this  is  tritO)  wc  have  only  to  ask  such  a  sinner  which  he  had  rath- 
er do,  live  here  awhile,  in  the  agonies  of  a  guilty  conscience,  as 
ordinarily  experienced,  or  die  on  the  gallows  for  the  crime, 
although  such  an  one  might  go  from  that  gallows  to  the  realms 
of  glory  in  an  instant;  what  is  it  supposed  his  answer  would 
be?  We  venture  to  say,  there  is  not  a  Universalist  under  hea- 
ven but  would  choose  to  live  in  such  a  case,  however  much  his 
conscince  might  trouble  him.  This  would  prove  that  they 
would  fear  that  sorer  punishment  of  which  St.  Paul  has  spoken, 
notwithstanding  their  bravo  doctrine  of  no  hell,  no  devil,  and  no 
future  day  or  time  of  judgment.  But  as  to  this  guilty  conscience 
suffering,  of  which  Utiiversalists  talk  so  much,  it  is  all  a  matter  of 
nonentity,  so  far  as  its  proving  a  check  to  the  commission  of  sin, 
or  even  of  its  existence  at  all.  For  it  is  well  known  to  every 
individual  of  the  human  race,  who  have  reflected  on  the  subject, 
that  the  distant  fear  of  feeling  bad  in  one's  mind  merely,  with 
no  other  evil  appended  thereto,  as  a  consequence,  is  of  no  force 
to  prevent  the  commission  of  sin  :  and  as  it  is  well  known,  and 
also  supported  by  Scripture,  that  the  heart  of  man  is  prone  to 
evil,  and  that  continually,  it  follows  of  necessity,  that  so  feeble  a 
barrier  as  the  expectation  of  feeling  bad  in  one's  own  mind 
merely,  about  a  thing  one  wishes  to  do,  however  criminal  it  may 
be,  is  not  sufficient  to  prevent  sin  in  one  single  instance,  over  the 
whole  earth. 

If  the  awful  sanctions  of  the  Bible,  which  threaten  the  finally 
impenitent  sinner  with  the  damnatian  of  hell?  is  found  insuffi- 
cient in  a  multitude  of  cases,  to  restrain  men  from  great  acts 
of  outrage  and  crime,  how  much  less,  therefore  must  the  other 
idea  effect,  in  its  influence?  We  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that 
it  can  and  does  effect  just  nothing  at  all.  How  can  a  man 
fear  himself,  in  relation  to  a  thing  he  wishes  to  do?  as  the  heart  is 
always  ready  to  excuse  the  turpitude  of  its  thoughts  and  deeds ; 
and  as  it  knows  or  believes,  on  the  Universalist  plan,  that  if  it 
commit  such  and  such  a  deed,  all  the  effect  it  can  produce,  will 
be  that  of  the  bare  idea  that  I  shall  have  done  relatively  wrong, 
only.  But  if  there  can  be  no  other  possible  consequence  than  to 
feel  bad  about  it,  a  short  time  in  this  life,  this  very  idea  will  en- 
tirely destroy  the  dread  of  feeling  bad  at  all,  and  would  at  once 
induce  the  universal  commission  of  crime,  or  lesser  sins,  without 
the  least  restraint  or  check  of  conscience.  The  very  principle 
called  conscience,  on  this  procedure,  would  cease  to  exist  in  the 
human  soul  ;  for  as  the  conscience  is  the  produce  of  education, 
take  away  the  kind  of  education  which  produces  conscience  :  no 
matter  whether  it  is  a  good  or  bad,  a  weak  or  strong  conscience, 
it  will  cease  altogether.  If  a  man  feels  inclined  to  defraud  his 
fellow,  his  reflections — if  the  Universalist  sentiment  is  true — 
may  be  as  follows :  Now,  in  my  heart,  1  do  desire  the  possession 
of  my  neighbor's  farm ;  and  as  I  am  in  possession  of  a  certain 


ANUKLS  OF   THE  SCRIPTURE*.  305 

traiu  of  operations,  I  will  put  that  train  of  things  into  execution, 
which  shall  result  in  the  possession  of  my  neighbor's  farm,  with- 
out its  costing  me  any  thing  worth  naming.  But  let  me  reflect  a 
little:  shan't  I  he  damned  for  it  in  another  world,  except  I  re- 
pent, and  am  pardoned,  and  make  the  man  restitution,  if  it  is  in 
my  power?  Ono:  that  is  impossible!  as  there  is  no  hell. — 
V,  ell,  but  shan't  1  feel  bad  about  it  in  my  own  mind,  in  this 
life?  I  can't  see  why  I  should — as  there  is  no  possible  evil 
consequence  to  mc.  attending  it, — and  as  it  will  be  just  what  I 
very  much  wish,— it  will,  of  necessity,  make  me  feel  very  well, 
instead  of  bad.  so  far  as  1  am  able  to  judge  of  the  matter.  But 
if  1  believed  the  doctrines  of  the  orthodox,  which  is,  that  for  every 
idle  word,  thought,  or  unjust  deed,  which  a  man  may  do  in  this 
life,  he  must  give  account  to  God  at  the  awful  day  of  judgment ; 
unless  he  has  repented— been  forgiven,  and  has  made  all  the  re- 
stitution there  may  be  in  his  power:  I  could  not  do  this  thing. 
But  if  I  am  only  threatened  with  the  pain  of  what  is  called  a 
guilty  conscience,  in  this  life,  I  will  certainly  do  it ;  as  I  know 
by  experience,  and  believe  that  millions  of  others  know  the  same 
thing,  that  is  quite  tolerable  to  be  borne,  and  very  easily  got 
along  with,  and  in  no  wise  frightful  to  the  imagination  ;  so  that 
quite  a  feeble  person,  in  body  or  mind,  might  stand  it  without 
visible  injury. 

Suppose  a  man  of  great  possession,  of  lands,  of  houses,  and  of 
goods  in  abundance,  with  the  influence  and  pleasure  such  a  con- 
dition generally  affords:  but  suppose  circumstances  turnup, 
which  shall  put  all  this  in  jeopardy ;  nay,  shall  absolutely  cause 
an  exchange  of  owners,  except  a  false  oath  be  taken  ;  will  Uni- 
versalist  pr'uicijrtes  save  a  man  from  this  crime,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances? We  fear  they  will  not.  A  man  thus  situated;  if 
a  thorough  Universalist  would  say  within  himself,  it  is  a  glori- 
ous possession, — and  will  a  icord  save  it  to  myself,  and  to  my 
posterity: — it  will,  and  therefore  shall,  though  that  word  is 
false  ;  as  all  the  injury  1  can  sustain  by  it,  if  it  is  not  found  out, 
will  be  trouble  of  conscience ;  but  as  I  know  God  is  not  sinned 
against  by  it,  and  that  lie  will  not  trouble  me  about  it  after  death, 
that  I  shall  not  be  troubled  by  it  in  this  life,  as  I  can  keep  my 
own  secret ;  I  see  no  barrier  to  my  swearing  false  ;  neither  do  I 
sec  any  particular  reason  why  I  shall  suffer  in  my  conscience,  or 
even  feel  bad  at  all,  as  the  very  false  oath  itself,  is  exactly  what 
God  wants  1  should  do  ;  as  1  am  taught  by  Universalists  that  he 
has  a  use  for  every  volition  of  man,  whether  good  or  bad. 
Thus  we  see  the  principle  would  bear  out  a  man  in  this  proce- 
dure. / 

But  if  it  is  objected  to  the  above,  that  I  ni  verbalists  are  as  tena- 
cious of  the  truth,  under  all  circumstances,  as  Christians  of  oth- 
er sects, — we  reply,  that  we  do  not  dispute  it.     But  the  reason 


306  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

why,  is  :  they  dare  not  rely  on  their  principles,  to  the  fullest  ex- 
tent, in  a  desperate  case — as  above  described. 

St.  Paul  said.  (Acts,  xxiv.  1G,)  "Herein  do  I  exercise  myself, 
to  have  always  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and 
toward  men."  But  Universalists  tell  us,  we  have  nothing  to  do 
with  God  in  the  matter ;  and  that  all  our  concern  is  to  behave 
well  toward  our  fellow  men.  To  behave  well  toward  men,  or 
in  other  words  to  have  a  good  conscience  toward  men,  is  but  one 
half  of  Christianity ;  which,  however,  can  do  the  soul  no  good, 
in  relation  to  God,  except  the  other  half  is  there  also,  and  that 
is  to  have  a  good  conscience  toward  God ;  the  two  must  go  to- 
gether, or  religion  has  no  being.  It  is  held  by  Universalists, 
who  are  thorough  in  the  understanding  of  their  doctrines,  that 
there  is  no  absolute  moral  evil  in  existence ;  and  that  all  that 
class  of  human  actions  denominated  sin  are  but  relatively  so, 
and  exist  only  in  relation  to  society,  but  not  directly  against  God, 
and  that  even  this  relative  sin  is  according  to  the  wish  and  de- 
cree of  God,  and  is  used  by  him  in  such  a  way  as  upon  the 
whole,  is  to  be  of  exceeding  great  utility  in  the  world.  Now  on 
this  view,  how  can  a  man  feel  bad  in  his  mind  when  he  sins  ? 
How  can  a  man  suffer  in  his  conscience?  The  thing  is  impos- 
sible : — because  there  is  no  conscience  to  suffer — this  mode  of 
education  does  not  bring  it  forth,  as  it  is  not  needed.  But  a  con- 
trary education  has  a  contrary  effect,  and  produces  the  fear  and 
love  of  God  together — which  is  true  Christianity,  and  not  a  half 
breed.  If  a  man  thinks  that  his  wicked  actions  are  of  use  upcn 
the  whole,  and  are  so  esteemed  by  the  Creator  himself,  how  can 
he  feel  a  guilty  conscience,  let  him  do  what  he  will  I  It  is  im- 
possible to  have  any  conceptions  of  a  guilty  conscience,  or  of  its 
origin,  only  on  the  ground  of  penal  law ;  and  that  penal  law,  the 
law  of  God, — to  be  applied  judicially  by  him. 

If  there  is  no  moral  evil  in  existence,  and  that  which  is  called 
relative  evil,  or  sin,  exists  only  in  the  relation  of  man  to  man, 
then  of  necessity  conscience  can  exist  only  in  a  relative  way  ; 
and  the  hell  into  which  the  wicked  are  to  be  cast,  according  to 
Universalists,  can  only  be  a  relative  hell :  and  how  St.  Paul  man- 
aged to  have  a  conscience  toward  God,  in  all  he  did,  is  more  than 
we  can  tell,  if  sin  is  but  relative.  How  can  a  conscience  suffer 
without  fear  ?  and  how  can  it  fear,  if  there  is  nothing  to  fear  ex- 
cept itself?  as  is  the  fact,  (/"Universalists  are  right:  God  having 
nothing  to  do  in  the  matter  ;  as  his  goodness  is  on  so  great  and 
noble  a  scale,  as  not  to  trouble  himself  much,  on  his  own  ac- 
count, about  the  actions  of  men,  or  in  any  way  to  charge  them 
with  real  moral  evil,  or  sin. 

No  wonder  it  is  called  a  comfortable  doctrine,  and  is  received 
with  avidity  by  thousands,  who  are  reckless,  abandoned,  and 
care  nothing  for  time  or  eternity,  resting  upon  this  great  salvo  of 
universal,  unconditional  saltation,  as  they  call  it,  after  death. 


iNGELfl  OP  THE  SCRIPTURES.  30? 

Were  such  a  doctrine  to  become  universal,  it  were  impossible  to 
bring  home  to  the  mind,  with  any  degree  of  force  or  influence, 
the  propriety  and  utility  of  law,  either  human  or  divine.  There 
would  be  produced,  a  universal  recklessness  of  behaviour,  on  the 
ground  that  all  evil  behaviour  which  might  accrue,  belonged  to 
the  great  plan  of  Gods  universe,  and  by  him  could  be  turned  to 
some  good  account:  and  even  if  it  could  not,  would  ultimately 
injure  no  man,  especially  in  eternity.  "What  ground*  therefore, 
is  there,  why  a  man  should  fear  to  sin?  Absolutely  none  at  all, 
that  we  can  see.  Can  the  conscience  fear  itself,  especially  when 
it  knows  that  if  it  does  suffer  for  any  crime,  that  that  very  suffer- 
ing is  its  hope,  its  salvation  and  purifier  I  That  such  is  the 
case,  according  to  Universalists,  is  most  true,  and  entirely  nulli- 
fies the  whole  idea  of  suffering  at  all,  in  any  way,  either  disci- 
plinary or  penally;  by  judicial  sanction  and  appointment  :  and 
destroys  the  whole  government  of  God,  except  as  the  mere  gov- 
ernor of  the  powers  of  unintellectual  nature.  But  says  the  Uni- 
versalis!, we  do  fear  to  sin,  because  of  the  expected  sufferings  of  a 
guilty  conscience.  This  we  deny,  and  aver  that  no  man  can 
suffer  by  anticipation,  for  a  sin  not  yet  committed  ;  as  it  is  impos- 
sible to  know  any  thing  of  the  feeling  which  he  may  have  if  he 
does  it ;  and  therefore,  on  that  account,  cannot  be  deterred  from 
its  commission  ;  there  must  be  something  more  powerful  pre- 
sented to  the  imagination,  or  it  will  not  hesitate  ;  such  is  the 
natural  bias  of  the  human  heart  to  sin,  now  that  we  are  fallen 
from  our  original  purity  in  Adam,  as  God  produced  him.  But 
as  we  have  before  said,  it  is  impossible  to  produce,  a  conscience 
toward  God,  if  there  is  no  other  penal  law  than  the  anticipated 
suffering  relatice  to  conscience,  and  even  that  having  nothing  to 
do  with  God,  as  they  hold  no  sin  can  be  committed  against  that 
being,  in  a  direct  sense.  But  David  did  not  think  so  ;  see  the 
51st  Psalm,  4  :  "Against  thee,  thee  only,  have  I  sinned,  and 
done  this  evil  in  thy  sight."  Joseph,  the  Saviour  of  Egypt  did 
not  think  so;  see  Gen.  xxxix.  9 ;  -How  can  I  do  this  great 
wickedness,  and  sin  against  God."  Do  not  these  passages 
prove  that  sin  in  its  highest  sense  is  against  God,  as  well  also,  as  in 
its  lowest  sense,  against  our  fellow.  Were  this  not  so,  St.  Paul 
should  have  said,  "Herein  do  I  exercise  myself,  to  have  always 
a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  men"  leaving  God  out  of 
the  question  ;  as  he  could  not  view  even  the  worst  acts  of  men 
as  absolute  moral  evil  or  sin,  according  to  Mr.  Ballou,  toward 
God.  This  twofold  conscience,  therefore,  points  to  God  as  its 
author,  and  feels  itself  amenable  to  him,  even  in  the  midst  of 
principles  which  go,  m  their  influence  and  nature,  to  destroy  its 
being. 

We  deom  it  impossible  to  sin  at  all,  except  the  conscience  have 
knowledge  of  the  penalty,  either  by  impression  or  by  letter,  as  it 
is  by  the  law  of  God  that  we  havo  a  knowledge  of  sin  ;  and  what 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

is  a  law  without  an  adequate  penalty,  whether  human  or  divine? 
O,  but  says  the  Universal ist,  we  hold  to  the  lavj  of  love,  that  is 
the  all  atoning  and  the  all  redeeming-  principle.  Very  well,  we 
admit  that  love  of  the  right  kind,  such  as  purifies  the  heart  and 
works  by  love,  and  is  implanted  from  above  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  in  the  moment  of  the  new  birth,  andthesanctification 
of  man's  nature  by  the  grace  of  God,  has  no  penalty  in  it ;  for  it  is 
this  very  thing  which  turns  aside  the  force  of  the  penrl  law  of 
God,  which  says,  "  If  any  man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
let  him  be  anathema  maranatha ;"  or  as  it  is  when  translated, 
let  him  be  accursed.  But  what  was  the  curse  to  consist  in,  or 
how  is  it  to  affect  such  as  do  not  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  at 
the  last  day?  This  is  answered  by  our  Lord  himself — Matth. 
xxv.  41 — who  has  said,  "  Depart  from  me  ye  cursed,  into  ever- 
lasting fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  On  which 
account,  we  perceive  that  the  fire  which  was  prepared,  not  for 
the  Jews  as  a  nation,  but  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  and  ail 
who  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  something  very  different 
from  what  Universalists  teach  us  ;  and  is  that  penalty  which  is 
the  sanction  of  the  divine  law  of  God,  to  be  poured  out  on  every 
one  without  mixture,  after  death,  unless  previously  pardoned  and 
sanctified  by  the  eternal  spirit  on  account  of  Jesus  Christ. 

It  is  also  sometimes  said  by  this  sect,  that  this  everlasting  fire, 
which  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  is  the  fire  of  the 
Holy  Ghost;  or  in  other  words  the  fire  of  salvation,  which  is  to 
make  sinners  good  men,  as  before  shown,  burning  up  their  sins  ; 
or,  in  other  words,  it  is  the  fire  of  God's  love  to  all  men,  which  is 
never  to  be  quenched,  of  which  we  shall  again  speak  toward  the 
close  of  the  work. 

To  teach  that  the  mere  feelings  of  a  guilty  conscience,  as  here 
experienced,  in  this  life,  is  the  only  suffering  a  sinner  has  to 
dread,  makes  a  man's  own  mind  his  judge ;  a  selfish  and  inter- 
ested judge,  one,  who  of  necessity,  cannot  be  severe  in  its  own 
condemnation,  as  the  heart  is  always  ready  to  excuse  its  own 
acts;  and  in  this  way  runs  the  sanctions  of  Christianity  entirely 
out ;  so  that  the  concerns  of  the  souls  of  the  human  race  are  in 
the  scale  of  being,  of  infinitely  less  importance,  than  the  things 
and  circumstances  connected  with  the  body  and  common  law 
affairs  of  our  race.  This  way  of  managing  the  conscience,  is 
very  similar,  though  not  quite  as  severe,  as  the  auricular  confes- 
sions of  the  Romanists ;  who,  it  is  presumable,  cannot  confess 
all  their  sins  to  the  priest,  on  account  of  forgetfulness,  and  from 
the  person  confessing,  judging  more  favorably  of  his  own  acts 
than  God  would,  or  even  a  human  judge,  if  he  knew  all ;  so  that 
a  danger,  nay,  a  certainty  follows,  thafone  sin  in  a  thousand  is 
not  confessed  to  the  priest,  after  all.  So  also,  a  Universalist 
would  not  suffer  in  his  conscience,  except  for  very  great  sins. 
Conscience  exists  in  the  human  mind,  in  exact  proportion  to  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  309 

kind  of  education  which  calls  it  forth  to  action  from  its  latent  or 
incipient  condition ;  and  is  i a  this  respect,  like  other  faculties  of 
the  soul,  which  are  not  discovered  till  certain  circumstances 
occur,  which  bring  them  into  action  and  to  view.  If  there  is 
law  of  human  authority,  for  the  regulation  of  the  rights  of 
society,  and  one  branch  of  that  law  is  the  prohibition  of  murder, 
and  enforced  by  affixing  thereto  death,  as  a  penalty,  he  who  vio- 
lates it  at  once  becomes  distressed  on  account  of  his  personal 
safety,  and  flies  the  pursuer.  But  should  the  fugitive  by  any 
means  become  informed,  as  he  is  flying  here  and  there,  that  in 
the  place  where  he  had  committed  the  murder,  the  penalty,  by  a 
wise,  good  and  benificent  legislature,  had  been  abrogated,  and 
no  other  substituted  in  its  place — his  fears  and  his  conscience, 
which  should  be  wholly  relative,  according  to  the  Universalists, 
disappear  in  a  moment.  Let,  therefore,  the  doctrine  of  uncon- 
ditional and  universal  salvation  become  individually  and  uni- 
versally the  belief  of  men,  then  disannul  all  penal  law  in  all 
countries,  how  will  we  go  to  work  to  sustain  the  existence  of  the 
conscience  of  any  sort,  whether  toward  God  or  man  ?  It  must 
cease,  as  the  cause  which  produced  it,  is  at  an  end.  ;  the  faculty 
will  sink  back  into  its  original,  latent,  unseen,  unknown,  and 
inert  condition,  as  it  was  before  either  the  law  of  God  or  of  man 
was  revealed  or  promulgated,  to  bring  it  forth. 

But  if  it  be  insisted,  by  any  man  who  thinks  he  believes  the 
Universalist  doctrine  respecting  this  conscience  suffering  in  this 
life,  that  he  has  a  conscience,  and  always  feels  distressed  when 
he  does  a  wicked  act — suffer  us  to  say,  that  such  feelings  are  the 
very  evidence  that  the  doctrine  has  not  received  the  entire  and 
unvarying  confidence  of  that  man's  mind  ;  as  it  is  utterly  impos- 
sible for  any  human  being,  instructed  in  the  Scriptures,  so  to 
feel,  except  there  is  a  fear  of  punishment  after  death  ;  which 
fear  is  the  true  and  only  origin  of  such  feelings  or  of  such  a  con- 
sciousness. On  this  subject,  it  should  never  be  forgotten,  that 
the  law  was  not  made  against  the  righteous,  but  against  the 
wicked  solely ;  see  1st  Tim.  i.  9,  10  :  "Know  this,  that  the  law 
is  not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but  for  the  lawless  and  the 
disobedient,  for  the  ungodly  and  for  sinners,  for  unholy  and 
profane,"  &c.  Were  it  not  for  the  moral  law  of  God,  with  its 
penalty,  which  is  eternal  death,  a  good  man  or  a  good  angel 
could  have  no  such  feeling  as  a  good  conscience  ;  as  the  data 
from  which  good  and  evil,  are  distinguished  could  not  exist  ; 
and  even  good  and  evil,  as  distinct  conditions  or  qualifications, 
could  have  no  being. 

Thus  we  perceive  the  fair  conclusion  on  the  subject  of  this  con- 
science suffering,  as  held  by  Universalists,  is  just  a  solemn  noth- 
ing ;  and  that  on  their  plan,  there  is  no  foundation  for  any 
conscience  at  all  in  the  human  mind ;  and  if  they,  as  a  people,  or 
individual,  have  a  conscience,  which  feels  when  touched  by  sin  ; 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

it  is  because  they  are  not  radically  sound  in  the  heterodox  notion 
of  a  conscience  purgatory,  and  retain  still  in  their  minds,  in  a 
degree,  the  force  of  a  contrary  education,  first  of  all  revealed  from 
heaven,  hy  virtue  of  the  great  atonement,  and  disseminated  by 
the  Providence  of  God  through  all  ranks  of  men,  in  every  age, 
but  most  of  all,  where  the  Bible  has  been  known. 

A  greater  fallacy  was  never  invented,  than  the  idea  that  a  suf- 
fering conscience,  as  produced  on  the  Universalist  plan,  is  all  the 
suffering  there  can  be  for  sin.  and  that  in  this  life  :  seeing  the 
true  origin  of  a  conscience  at  all,  is  the  fear  of  the  penal  law  of 
God,  as  shall  be  executed  in  another  world  after  death.  That 
such  is  to  be  the  fact,  see  Heb.  ix.  27  :  "  It  is  appointed  unto  men 
once  to  die,  but  after  that  the  judgment?  Now  what  judgment 
is  here  spoken  of?  Surely  not  the  destruction  of  the  city  of  the 
Jews,  as  Universalists  believe  ;  for  if  so,  then  all  the  Jews,  and 
all  other  men,  whether  they  existed  before  that  event,  or  since, 
were  to  die  before  the  ruin  of  that  people,  however  impossible  this 
may  appear,  because  it  is  said  in  the  text,  that  it  is  appointed  unto 
men  (which  is  a  term  embracing  the  whole  species.)  once  to  die, 
but  after  that  the  judgment.  From  this  it  would  follow,  that 
if  all  men  were  to  die  before  the  judgment,  the  destruction  of 
the  Jews,  that  there  could  have  been  no  Jews  for  the  Romans  to 
have  destroyed  and  captured,  nor  any  Romans  to  have  captured 
the  Jews,  as  all  human  beings  must  have  been  dead  before  that 
time,  by  which  we  perceive  the  idea  refutes  itself.  If  the  text 
had  read  thus  :  it  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  and  after 
that  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  then  we  should  have  some 
reason  to  understand  the  text,  to  the  exclusion  of  a  day  of  judg- 
ment after  death. 

St.  Paul  believed  in  a  day  of  final  judgment,  as  we  learn  from 
his  discourse  with  Felix,  the  Roman  governor,  at  Cesarea  :  (see 
Acts  xxiv.  24,  25,)  "  And  after  certain  days,  when  Felix  came 
with  his  wife  Drusilla,  who  was  a  Jewess,  he  sent  for  Paul,  and 
heard  him  concerning  the  faith  in  Christ.  And  as  he  reasoned 
of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  judgment  to  come,  Felix 
trembled."  Now  why  did  Felix  tremble  '/  Was  he  afraid  he 
should  be  killed  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  which  took  place 
about  ten  years  after  that  time?  No  !  this  was  impossible  ;  as  he 
was  a  Roman,  and  a  Roman  governor,  and  then  in  favor  with 
the  Emperor,  and  could  not  possibly  apprehend  any  evil  to  him- 
self on  that  account.  Was  Felix  afraid  the  reasoning  of  Paul 
would  so  terrify  Drusilla,  his  wife,  who  was  a  Jewess,  whom 
he  had  unlawfully  taken  from  her  husband,  that  she  would  for- 
sake him  from  remorse  of  conscience?  No  !  this  could  not  have 
been  the  reason  of  his  trembling ;  because  at  that  very  time,  her 
first  and  lawful  "  husband  had  been  dead  about  three  years." 
Clarke.  If  then  the  reasoning  of  St.  Paul  against  licentious- 
ness, of  which  Felix  was  exceedingly  guilty,  and  of  the  judg- 


▲I?GEL0  or  THE  SCHIPTUREK.  311 

ment  to  come,  which  so  affected  him,  was  not  the  destruction  of 

the  Jews,  nor  the  dread  ot'  his  wife's  leaving  him,  which  caused 
him  to  tremble,    -what  then  was  the  real  cause?  There  remains 

but  one  other  ;  and  that  was  the  dread  of  appearing  before  God  to 
give  an  account  of  the  deeds  done  in  his  body,  at  the  judgment  of 
the  last  day.  What  other  reason  could  there  have  been  which 
had  so  powerful  an  effect  upon  a  haughty,  cruel,  proud  and  libid- 
inous governor,  as  to  cause  him  to  tremble,  and  that  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  poor  prisoner,  bound  in  fetters,  at  the  very  bar  where 
Felix  presided  / — 'tis  impossible  to  suppose  any  other.  But  on 
the  other  idea,  that  of  a  judgment  to  come,  which  should  not 
only  affect  him.  but  all  the  human  race,  he  may  be  supposed  to 
have  trembled,  especially  when  the  lips  and  the  tongue  of  such  a 
minister  of  God  as  was  St.  Paul,  was  inspired  from  heaven  to  an- 
nounce the  doom  of  the  wicked  before  hand,  including  even  Fe- 
lix, except  he  repented  and  was  pardoned. 

But  suppose  the  apostle  had  been  curious  enough  to  have  in- 
quired of  Felix  the  reason  why  he  so  shook  and  trembled,  what 
would  have  been  his  reply,  think  ye  '!■  "Would  he  have  told  Paul 
that  he  was  afraid  of  being  damned  as  soon  as  he  should  die,  on 
account  of  his  wickedness  or  intemperance  1  or  would  he  have 
said  it  was  his  sympathies  for  the  Jews,  who  were  soon  to  be 
ruined,  as  Univcrsalists  seem  to  think,  and  his  fear  of  being  kill- 
ed himself  in  that  war?  The  former,  it  is  our  opinion,  would 
have  been  his  answer,  as  there  was  no  room  for  any  other  kind 
of  fear,  in  his  peculiar  case.  But  if  Paul  had  been  a  Universal- 
is!, he  could  have  told  Felix  that  there  was  no  reason  for  him  to 
tremble  and  feel  so  bad,  from  a  fear  of  being  damned  after  death, 
as  that  there  is  no  hell,  except  that  which  his  preaching  had  just 
then  produced  in  his  bosom.  What  would  Felix  have  thought 
on  an  announcement  of  this  kind  ?  We  think  we  can  tell  you  :  lie. 
would  have  thought,  that  as  he  had  hitherto  got  along  very  well 
as  it  respected  his  sins,  that  he  could  thereafter  do  equally  well, 
and  therefore  there  is  no  need  that  I  should  fear  and  tremble  as 
I  do.  If  Paul  had  said  this  to  the  governor,  he  would  have  sooh 
quieted  his  fears,  and  ceased  his  excessive  trembling,  caiang  no- 
thing about  the  matter  any  way.  This  is  the  direct  effect  of  the 
great  unconditional  salvo  of  Umversalist  doctrine  ;  it  prevents 
conviction  for  sin  ;  lauglis  at  regeneration  by  the  spirit  of 
truth,  and  sneers  at  sanctification  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  teach- 
es men  that  mere  morality  is  all-sufficient  to  secure  happiness 
here ;  and  as  to  the  future,  after  this  life  they  have  nothing  to 
do  about  that  at  all,  as  heaven  is  to  be  the  gift  of  God  to  all,  both 
good  and  bad,  alike.  But  if  it  is  to  be  a  gift,  we  enquire  whe- 
ther God  is  obliged  to  bestow  this  gift  or  not .'  If  it  is  answer- 
ed that  he  is  obliged  to  do  it,  on  account  of  his  goodness,  then 
it  is  not  a  gift,  but  an  act  of  necessity,  which  he  is  not  able  to  re- 
sist, and  therefore  is  not  his  act,  but  the  act  of  another  kind  of 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

being,  called  necessity.  But  it*  it  is  answered  that  he  is  not 
obliged  to  do  this,  then  it  may  follow  that  he  will  not  do  it.  ex- 
cept it  is  right  and  consistent ;  and  if  right  and  consistent,  that 
right  and  consistency  may  depend  on  the  worthiness  or  adapta- 
tion of  that  happiness  to  characters  fitted  beforehand,  in  this  life, 
to  receive  and  enjoy  it. 

But  to  talk  of  heaven  as  the  future  home  of  the  sonls  of  men, 
on  such  ground  as  that,  namely,  by  gift,  to  all,  both  the  good 
and  the  bad  alike,  nullifies  the  very  idea  of  gift :  as  it  is  impos- 
sible that  any  other  condition  awaits  them,  there  being  n©  other 
condition  in  eternity  ;  and  is  not,  therefore,  the  gift  of  God,  but 
inevitable  fate  ;  to  which  we  are  all  hastening,  as  surely  as  that 
gravitation  tends  to  the  centre.  It  is  admitted,  however,  that 
though  it  is  fate — were  this  the  truth  of  the  case— that  it  is  a 
good  fate,  but  never  c:m  be  called  salvation  in  any  sense  what- 
ever. The  word  salvation  is  without  meaning,  except  it  is  sup- 
posed that  a  contrary  condition  may  or  does  exist.  Now,  as 
there  is  in  eternity,  according  to  Univcrsalists,  nothing  contrary 
to  a  happy  and  glorified  condition,  it  is  seen  at  once  that  the 
word  salvation  is  not  to  be  used,  when  speaking  of  that  happy 
state,  but  is  to  be  wholly  restricted  to  this  life.  In  doing  this,  we 
goon  the  same  scale  that  the  Univcrsalists  do  about  the  word  dam- 
nation ;  who  confine  if  wholly  to  this  life,  as  no  such  condition 
is  or  can  be  in  eternity,  according  to  their  view.  Now  as  these 
people  hold  that  there  is  no  real  moral  evil  or  sin  in  the  world, 
and  that  which  is  commonly  called  relative  moral  evil  or  sin,  is 
according  to  the  wish,  desire  and  plan  of  God,  of  which  he  can 
make,  on  the  whole,  a  most  excellent  use,  it  follows  that  the  word 
salvation  has  no  application,  even  in  this  life,  more  than  in  the 
other ;  so  that  the  fair  result  of  this  enquiry  is,  that  Universalists 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  word  salvation,  in  any  sense  what- 
ever in  their  principles,  notwithstanding  their  great  boasting  on 
that  account.  Salvation  always  supposes  an  opposite  condition 
to  itself,  which  it  opposes  ;  and  offers  to  rescue  or  prevent  such 
as  arc  in  danger  of  falling  into  that  opposite  condition  ;  if  this  is  not 
so,  then  the  word  nor  the  thing  can  have  no  application  to  the 
human  race.  Now,  on  the  Universalist  plan,  the  word  nor  the 
tiling  is  not  called  for  ;  as  men  were  never  in  danger  of  falling 
into  a  condition  which  never  did  nor  never  can  exist,  namely, 
that  which  is  contrary  to  salvation,  whatever  it  may  be  supposed 
to  be.  According  to  this,  it  appears  that  the  free  use  these  peo- 
ple make  of  the  word  salvation,  in  their  books,  their  preaching, 
and  general  conversation  on  religious  subjects,  is  but  begging 
the  question,  and  taking  the  advantage  of  it  word  and  a  doctrine 
which  belongs  exclusively  to  the  orthodox  sects,  by  which  to  rise 
in  an  easy  way,  and  to  become  popular  among  the  careless  and 
the  wicked,  which  is  the  fact.  The  whole  amount  of  the  idea 
is  this,  that  the  human  race  are  produced  and  impelled  on- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  313 

ward  to  certain  happiness,  without  the  least  possible  danger  of 
miscarrying,  ns  their  condition  is  as  much  fixed  as  that  of  the 
Creator's;  on  which  account  the  word  salvation  is  without 
meaning,  as  there  is  nothing  to  be  saved  from;  and  consequent- 
ly is  inapplicable  to  the  human  race;  which  idea,  however,  we 
consider  absurd  and  foolish,  as  salvation  from  sin  here  and  its 
consequences  hereafter,  is  the  whole  amount  of  Christianity,  as 
manifested  in  the  earth  ;  the  contrary  is  deism. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  judgment  after  death,  at  the  time  of 
the  last  resurrection,  was  believed  by  all  the  Jews  before  Christ 
came  to  amplify  and  to  carry  into  effect  the  virtue  and  truth  of 
the  law  of  Moses,  as  we  learn  from  the  writings  of  their  Rabbins, 
as  late  as  about  400  years  before  his  advent ;  see  Apocraphy, 
2d  book  of  Esdras,  xiv.  34,  35,  where  it  is  written,  "Therefore 
if  so  be  that  ye  will  subdue  your  own  understanding,  and  reform 
your  hearts,  ye  shall  be  kept  alive,  and  after  death  ye  shall  find 
mercy.  For  after  death  shall  the  judgment  come,  when  we 
shall  live  again;  and  then  shall  the  names  of  the  righteous  be 
manifest,  and  the  works  of  the  ungodly  shall  be  declared."  This 
belief  of  the  ancient  Jews  is  everywhere  corroborated  in  the 
New-Testament  as  well  as  in  the  Old,  notwithstanding  Mr.  Bal- 
four believes  they  derived  it  from  the  Persians,  or  ancient  fire- 
worshippers,  and  from  the  heathen  Greeks.  It  is  corroborated 
by  St.  John,  xi.  24,  in  the  conversation  held  between  the  Saviour 
and  Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  a  Jew,  who  it  appears  had 
died  :  "Jesus  saith  unto  her,  thy  brother  shall  rise  again.  Mar- 
tha saith  unto  him,  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the  resur- 
rection at  the  last  day."  Does  not  this  prove  the  doctrine  of  a 
day  of  judgment  at  the  end  of  time,  as  the  last  day  must  of  ne 
cessity  be  the  end  of  the  world?  It  is  impossible  that  Martha 
could  have  had  any  allusion  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by 
the  words,  the  "last  day;"  as  it  is  not  likely  that  such  a  thought 
had  ever  passed  her  mind  as  that  Jerusalem  was  to  be  destroyed 
some  forty  years  from  that  time ;  or  if  she  had,  surely  she  did 
not  think  that  time  would  be  the  time  of  the  general  resurrection, 
and  that  then  her  brother  should  arise  from  the  dead ;  if  she  did 
it  was  a  spurious  hope,  for  none  of  the  dead  were  raised  at  that 
time.  But  of  whom  did  Martha  learn  this  doctrine  of  a  last  day 
resurrection,  which  is  the  same  as  the  day  of  judgment  at  the 
last  day  ?  She  learnt  it  out  of  the  Jewish  Scriptures  and  com- 
mentaries of  the  rabbins  on  those  Scriptures,  (as  the  New  Tes- 
tament was  not  then  written)  which  the  Saviour  did  not  dispute 
nor  correct,  while  conversing  with  her  about  her  brothers  death. 
St.  Paul  corroborates  this  belief — Ileb.  ix.  2S — "It  is  appointed 
unto  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment."  Why  was 
it  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die?  Because  they  have  ginned; 
for  the  Apostle  says  in  another  place     see  Romans  v.  12     that 

21 


314  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

"  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin ;  and  so  death 
passed  upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned."  Also,  Acts  xvii. 
30,  31,  teaches  the  same  thing:  «  God  .  .  .  now  commandeth  all 
men  everywhere  to  repent ;  because  he  hath  appointed  a  day  in 
the  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  by  that  man 
(Jesus  Christ)  whom  he  hath  ordained,  whereof  he  hath  given 
assurance  unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him  from  the 
dead."  Now  what  world  was  it  which  the  text  last  quoted  says 
was  to  be  judged  on  a  certain  day.  or  time,  in  righteousness,  by 
Jesus  Christ'/  Was  it  the  world  of  the  Jews,  or  the  Jewish  na- 
tion, as  believed  by  Universalists.  and  as  destroyed  by  the  Ro- 
mans? No.  this  cannot  be,  unless  we  can  suppose  that  God 
raised  his  Son  from  the  dead,  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  give 
assurance  to  all  men  that  he  would  allow  the  Romans  to  destroy 
the  Jews  ;  which  is  too  foolish  a  notion  to  need  refutation. 

This  doctrine,  that  of  a  day  of  judgment  yet  to  come,  is  taught 
in  direct  terms  by  our  Saviour  ;  see  St.  John  v.  28,  29  :  "  Marvel 
not  at  this,  (at  what  7  why  that  to  the  Son  was  committed  au- 
thority to  execute  judgment,)  for  the  hour  is  coming,  (was  not 
then)  in  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  (Christ's) 
voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good  unto  tho 
resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  damnation?  By  this  we  understand  the  damnation 
of  hell,  after  this  life,  at  the  time  of  the  last  resurrection,  when 
all  who  are  then  in  their  graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  cf 
God,  and  shall  come  forth ;  the  same  as  the  good  had  done  a 
thousand  years  before,  at  the  time  of  the  first  resurrection.  But 
this  meaning  is  disputed  by  Universalists,  because  it  is  said  in 
the  same  chapter,  at  the  25th  verse,  "  Verily  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  the  hour  is  coming  and  nciv  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear 
the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 
They  understand  this  last  quotation  to  be  spoken  of  all  mankind, 
who  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  shall  conse- 
quently rise  from  the  dead  and  live,  or  shall  be  all  finally  saved 
in  heaven.  But  suppose  we  delay  a  moment,  ere  we  set  it  down 
as  indubitable  ;  because  we  notice  that  it  is  added  in  that  same 
verse,  in  six  emphatic  words,  "and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 
This  addition,  which  is  not  in  the  25th  verse,  implies  human 
agency  and  human  liberty,  with  all  the  conditions  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  promising  life  to  those  who  should  hear,  and  to  none  else ; 
and  implying  a  state  of  continued  moral  death  to  such  as  would 
not  hear,  or  in  other  words,  such  as  would  ?iot  receive  after  they 
had  heard.  This  is  easily  shown  to  be  scriptural — see  Matth. 
xiii.  13 — "Therefore  speak  I  to  them  in  parables;  because, 
they  seeing,  see  not,  and  hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do  they 
understand."  That  is,  they  resisted  the  light,  « least  at  any  time 
they  should  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and 
should  understand  with  the  heart,  and  should  be  convened,  and 


ANGELS  OF  THE  bCRlPTTRES. 


315 


I  should  heal  them."     But  the  other  two  verse9  first  quoted, 
namely,  the  28th  and  29th.  are  remarkable  in  their  difference 
from  the  25th,  in  two  particulars,  and  these  are,  first,  there  is  no 
mention  in  the  latter — the  25th — of  any  graves  at  all,  from  which 
they  were  to  come  forth  ;  and  second,  in  the  28th  and  29th  there 
is  no  optional  power  implied,  as  is  in  the  25th,  namely,  "they 
that  hear  shall  live  :';  but  it  is  imperiously  said  in  the  2Sth  and 
89th,  that  "all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  ard 
shall  come  forth  ;  they  that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life,  and  they  that  have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  dam- 
nation."    And  more  than  this,  as  a  third  particular  of  difference, 
28th  and  29th  verses  do  not  say  that  the  hour  now  is,  but 
that  the  hour  is  comings  placing-  it  wholly  in  futurity,  which 
the  25th  verse  does  not  do.     Universalists  insist  that  these  verses 
>ak  wholly  on  one  and  the  same  subject,  which  they  think  is 
moral  reformation  from  sin  and  death  in  this  life.     They  think 
the  word  graves,  there  used,  means  to  be  dead  in  trespasses  and 
sins  in  this  life  ;  and  that  to  come  forth  from  those  graves  is  to 
become  Christians,  in  their  sense  of  the  word  Christian.     But  on 
tiis  view  of  the  subject,  there  is  a  wonderful  difficulty  to  be  got 
over,  or  it  will  not  do.     And  what  is  this  difficulty?   '  Why  it  is 
this,  that  the  good  are  also  to  be  raised  up  out  of  the  same  state 
of  death,  carnal  mindedness  and  sin,  as  well  as  the  bad;  and 
shows  that  the  good  are  in  their  graves,  and  in  as  much  need  of 
conversion  as  the  bad  ;  which  is  a  sort  of  jumbling  of  matters 
unknown  to  straight  forward  theology. 

The  prophet  Daniel  has  contemplated  the  same  thing,  and 
f  >retold  the  same  event,  making  the  same  difference  between  the 
final  end  of  the  good  and  the  bad,  which  the  Saviour  has  done, 
in  the  texts  above  examined.  Daniel,  xii.  2,  as  follows  :  "And 
many  of  them  that  sleep  (are  dead)  in  the  dust  of  the  earth,  (the 
graves)  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt."  But  tiiis  text  also,  is  otherwise  inter- 
preted by  Universalists  ;  who  imagine  it  was  written  by  Daniel 
in  reference  to  the  deliverance  of  the  Jews  from  their  then  state 
of  Babylonian  captivity,  which  was  soon  to  take  place  ;  and  that 
the  terms,  dust  of  the  earth,  signified  their  state  of  servitude  and 
slavery,  in  which  they  slept  as  a  people,  and  were  nationally 
dead.  But  this  interpretation  cannot  be  the  right  one  ;  because 
of  the  impossibility  of  shame  and  everlasting  contempt  attaching 
its  opprobrium  to  any  part  of  the  Jews  so  raised  up,  and  delivered 
from  that  dust  of  the  earth  their  national  grave.  It  cannot  be 
the  right  interpretation,  from  another  view  of  the  subject;  be- 
cause a  part  of  them  so  to  be  raised  up,  were  to  be  raised  up,  or 
werj  to  awake  to  eternal  or  everlasting  life.  Now  if  this 
awaking  from  the  dust  of  the  earth,  was  the  national  resurrec- 
tion of  the  Jews  from  their  captivity,  how  can  such  a  circum- 
stance 1x3  called  everlasting  lifc,  cWn  though  they  had  main- 


316  HISTORY   OF  THE    FALLEN 

tained  it  thereafter  even  till  this  time,  and  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
their  national  standing  as  it  was  after  their  recovery  from  their 
then  state  of  degradation,  as  'politics  or  nationality  has  nothing 
to  do  with  everlasting  life?  But  when  we  call  to  mind  that  the 
Jewish  nation,  in  less  than  six  hundred  years  from  the  time  of 
their  Babylonian  captivity  in  Daniel's  time  were  again  destroyed 
and  dispersed  over  the  earth  by  the  Romans,  the  successors  of  the 
Greeks,  who  were  the  successors  of  the  Chaldeans,  or  Babylo- 
nians, it  is  still  farther  removed  from  the  idea  of  everlasting  life, 
unless  we  can  suppose  an  everlasting  life  amounting  to  no  more 
duration  than  less  than  six  hundred  years.  How  can  it  be  pos- 
sible that  shame  and  everlasting  contempt  could  follow  to  one 
of  them  as  a  consequence  of  their  release  from  a  shameful  state  of 
slavery,  which  had  endured  seventy  years,  and  from  their  resto- 
ration to  their  country,  government,  and  religion  ?  It  is  nonsense 
to  suppose  such  a  thing ;  yet  so  the  Universalists  instruct  the 
people,  and  many  there  are  who  hear  them. 

The  graves  mentioned  by  St.  John,  v.  28,  from  which  all  that 
are  in  them  are  to  arise  when  they  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God,  are  said,  as  before  remarked,  by  Universalists,  to  be 
the  carnal  state  of  men  in  their  sins  ;  and  their  resurrection  from 
those  graves  at  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  is  their  conversion 
to  Christianity :  how,  therefore,  we  enquire  with  much  wonder, 
how  in  the  name  of  logic  can  it  be  said  to  be  a  resurrection  of 
damnation,  or  to  ease  this  a  little,  a  resurrection  of  condemna- 
tion, or  shame  and  dishonor  ?  And,  respecting  the  good,  we 
enquire  with  equal  surprise,  what  graves  they  are  out  of  which 
they  were  to  arise  and  come  forth?  Surely  not  the  grave  of  a 
carnal  mind  ;  as  this  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  the  condition  of 
the  good  in  no  age  of  the  earth  ;  a  resurrection  of  temporal  moral 
character,  cannot  be  supposed  as  applicable  to  their  condition,  as 
it  is  to  that  of  the  wicked.  It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the  time 
alluded  to  by  the  Saviour,  when  all  that  are  in  their  graves  of 
the  earth,  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God  and  come  forth, 
is  to  be  the  end  of  the  world ;  and  that  the  graves  there  named, 
are  the  real  literal  graves  of  all  the  dead,  which  are  finally  to  give 
up  the  prisoners. 

But  as  a  further  proof  of  a  day  of  judgment  to  take  place  at  the 
end  of  the  world,  we  give  the  account,  as  written  by  St.  Luke, 
(x.  10,  12,  14,)  respecting  certain  remarks  the  Saviour  made  to 
the  seventy  disciples,  when  he  sent  them  out  to  preach,  and  to 
heal  the  sick,  and  to  say  to  the  people  that  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
was  come  niofh  to  them.  These  remarks  were  as  follows  :  "  But 
into  whatsoever  city  ye  enter,  and  they  receive  you  not,  go  your 
ways  out  into  the  streets  of  the  same,  and  say,  Even  the  very 
dust  of  your  city,  which  cleaveth  on  us,  we  do  wipe  off  against 
you  :  But  I  say  unty  you,  that  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  in  that 
day  for  Sodom  than  for  that  city."    And  as  it  respects  what  is 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  317 

meant  by  the  words  '  that  day  as  in  the  above  text — it  is  ex- 
plained in  the  14th  verse,  as  follows  :  "  But  it  shall  be  more  tol- 
erable for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the  judgment,  than  for  you." 
Thus  we  see  that  in  the  judgment,  the  cities  of  Tyre,  Sidon,  and 
Gomorrah,  or  the  inhabitants  thereof,  are  to  be  dealt  with  less 
severe  than  the  inhabitants  of  such  cities  as  should  reject  and 
scorn  those  disciples  he  was  then  sending  out.  Now  as  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  at  that  very  time,  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  from 
above,  nearly  two  thousand  years,  and  then  lay  beneath  the  hor- 
rid waters  of  the  Dead  Sea,  which  yet  remains ;  by  what  mode 
of  reasoning  can  it  be  shown,  that  such  a  denouncement  can  be 
fulfilled,  if  there  is  to  be  no  day  of  judgment  at  the  end  of  time, 
or  the  end  of  the  world. 

From  this  statement,  it  certainly  appears  that  the  people  of 
Sodom,  who  were  destroyed  by  fire,  and  according  to  St.  Jude, 
were  in  his  time  suffering'  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire,  are  yet 
to  appear  at  the  judgment,  at  which  time,  according  to  St.  Luke, 
they  are  to  be  dealt  with  less  severely  than  the  people  of  the 
cities,  who  should  reject  the  preaching  of  the  seventy  disciples. 
Now  unless  this  is  to  be  the  fact,  where  is  the  sense  of  the  Sa- 
viour's remark,  when  putting  it  in  the  future,  he  says,  it  shall  be 
more  tolerable  for  Sodom,  in  that  day.  than  for  that  city?  Can 
it  be  shown  that  Sodom,  since  the  day  of  its  ruin  by  fire,  has 
been  brought  into  judgment,  in  any  way  whatever,  and  less 
severely  dealt  with,  than  the  cities  which  may  have  rejected  the 
disciples'  preaching?  We  think  it  cannot  be  shown  :  and  if  it 
cannot,  then  the  day  of  judgment,  of  which  Christ  spoke,  is  yet 
to  take  place.  It  is  impossible  to  be  shown  that  Sodom,  at  the 
time  Jerusalem  was  destroyed,  was  brought  to  view,  in  any 
sense  :  while  it  is  easy  to  be  shown,  that  Sodom  was  far  worse 
dealt  with,  when  it  was  overwhelmed  and  burned  by  fire,  and 
the  very  country  where  it  stood,  with  its  sister  cities,  sunk  down 
into  the  earth,  and  was  buried  beneath  the  bituminous  waters  of 
the  lake  Asphaltites,  and  the  inhabitants  doomed  to  suffer  the 
vengeance  of  eternal  fire.  The  temporal  doom  of  the  Jews  can- 
not be  compared  with  this;  as  their  country  was  left,  and  rem- 
nants of  the  city  yet  remains,  and  a  promise  that  they  shall  as  a 
nation,  yet  return  to  inhabit  that  country,  as  commonly  believed. 
Now  if  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  is  all  the  day  of  judgment 
there  is  to  be,  and  in  that  circumstance,  was  fulfilled  all  that  is 
said  in  the  New  Testament  about  such  a  day,  then  it  is  clear 
that  the  statement  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  not  likely  to  be  fulfilled  ;  as 
there  never  can  come  a  time,  when  Sodom  can  be  less  severely 
dealt  with,  than  such  cities  as  rejected  the  preaching  of  his  dis- 
ciples, and  there  never  can  come  a  time,  period,  or  day,  when 
such  cities  can  be  wort  severely  dealt  with  than  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  were,  except  the  final  judgment.  There  is  a  final 
judgment  to  come,  when  hades  itself— the  place  in  which  de- 


318  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

parted  sinners  are  in  a  state  of  partial  punishment  in  the  invisible 
world — shall  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  with  ali 
it  contains,  which  is  the  second  death.     Rev.  xx.  14. 

Thus  we  believe  we  have  maintained  the  Bible  doctrine  of  a 
day  of  judgment  to  come,  in  which  the  whole  human  race  are 
interested,  different  from  that  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  as 
well  also,  that  there  is  a  dreadful  hell  of  fire  and  brimstone,  situ- 
ated somewhere  in  boundless  space,  into  which  all  the  wicked, 
not  only  of  this  globs,  but  of  all  others  which  may  have  fallen, 
together  with  the  worlds  on  which  they  have  lived,  shall  he  cast 
from  time  to  time,  as  their  respective  days  of  judgment  will  take 
place,  as  before  argued. 


An  Enquiry  respecting  how  Satan  and  Evil  Spirits  were 
Worshipped  in  Ancient  Times;  with  further  Proof  of 
the  real  Existence  of  such  Beings. 

The  influence  of  Satan  previous  to  the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ 
into  the  world,  was  far  greater  than  since  that  time.  We  may 
not  doubt  this,  as  it  is  not  conjecture,  when  we  say  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  globe,  except  the  Jews,  hundreds  of  years  before  the 
time  of  St.  Paul,  did  under  various  forms  and  modes,  worship 
the  devil,  and  evil  spirits,  who  hod  become  true  enough,  as  is 
written  by  St.  Paul  to  the  Corinthians,  2d  Epistle,  iv.  4, — that 
"  The  god  of  this  world  (the  devil)  hath  blinded  the  minds  of 
them  which  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  Gospel  of 
Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God,  should  shine  unto  them  ;"  and 
had  them  under  his  influence.  St.  Paul  understood  this  subject 
perfectly,  as  he  had  travelled  much  among  heathen  nations,  and 
was  a  man  of  great  erudition,  knowing  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  nations  in  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe,  in  those  early  times, 
who  says  expressly  that  the  Gentiles  worshipped  devils ;  see  1st 
Cor.  x.  21,  22  :  <;  But  1  say  unto  you,  that  the  things  which  the 
Gentiles  sacrifice,  they  sacrifice  unto  devils,  and  not  unto  God. 
And  I  would  not  that  ye  should  have  fellowship  with  devils.  Ye 
cannot  drink  the  cup  of  the  Lord,  and  the  cup  of  devils  : 
ye  cannot  be  partakers  of  the  Lord's  table,  and  of  the  table  of 
devils." 

But  in  relation  to  the  worship  of  devils,  as  stated  by  St.  Paul, 
above  quoted,  it  may  be  enquired,  how  this  was  done;  and  how 
the  attention  of  men  became  so  exclusively  appropriated  to  the 
service  and  veneration  of  Satan  and  evil  spirits,  in  those  early 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  319 

ages  of  the  earth?  To  this  it  is  replied,  that  they  secured  the 
worship  and  veneration  of  men,  not  by  becoming  visible,  and 
patting  ©n  forms  of  hideous  and  repulsive  shapes,  or  of  any  other, 
but  by  securing  the  passions  of  the  soul,  its  affections,  appetites, 
and  animal  desires,  so  as  in  their  gratification  to  be  driven  beyond 
the  requirements  of  nature,  excelling  the  bounds  which  are  mark- 
ed out  by  the  Creator— which  bounds  wore  intended  to  facilitate 
a  state  of  social  happiness,  in  the  use  and  exercise  of  virtuous 
affections,  desires,  and  appetites. 

But  under  the  direction  and  influence  of  Satan,  these  became 
deified  among  men,  and  were  represented  by  various  images, 
which  were  fashioned  after  the  supposed  forms  of  beings,  which 
were  imagined  to  be  the  governors  or  controllers  of  that  class  of 
appetites  and  passions  winch  the  images  resembled,  in  distinction 
from  all  the  rest ;  so  that  man,  soul  and  body,  became  struck  out 
into  districts,  cantons  and  parishes,  and  placed  under  appropriate, 
or  congenial  demons,  or  genii,  as  their  guides,  or  tutelar  spirits. 
This  is  the  reason  why  the  passions  of  anger,  cruelty,  revenge, 
and  the  love  of  power,  became  the  god  of  war,  and  of  bloodshed. 
Mars,  was  the  name  of  this  god,  among  seme  of  the  ancient 
nations,  whose  image  was  made,  so  as  to  present  all  the  linea- 
ments of  countenance  and  attitude  best  calculated  to  describe 
those  passions.  His  frame  was  of  Herculean  size — distorted, 
with  muscular  angry  attitudes — a  face  of  flame — with  dishevelled 
hair — eyes  glaring  with  fury — every  lineament  and  limb  on  the 
stretch,  as  if  hurried  by  internal  lightnings  ;  while  he  held  a 
torch  of  flames,  to  set  on  fire  the  nations  with  wrath  and  war 
against  each  other,  as  he  sped  his  way  in  a  whirlwind  around 
the  earth :  the  image  of  this  passion  was  the  £od  of  war.  The 
appetite  of  drunkenness  and  intemperance  furnished  the  image  of 
mirth  and  hilarity;  whose  countenance  was  Hushed  with  wine, 
as  he  revelled  among  the  vines  and  the  foliage  of  the  grape ;  in 
whose  temples  every  extravagance  of  which  human  nature  and 
the  bad  passions  let  loose,  are  capable,  were  perpetrated :  the 
name  of  this  god  was  Bacchus — the  god  of  drunkenness  and 
glutony.  The  passion  of  love,  furnished  to  many  nations  va- 
rious images  of  a  beautiful  and  magnificent  female,  who  was 
adored  as  a  goddess  —  under  whose  auspices,  and  to  whose 
honor,  immense  temples  were  erected,  in  which  the  contrary  of 
all  virtue  and  chastity,  became  deeds  of  piety  and  acts  of  devo- 
tion, and  a  branch  of  the  religion  of  the  nations,  whose  influence 
in  opposing  the  true  happiness  of  mankind,  in  a  social  sense, 
cannot  be  calculated.  The  planet  Venus,  a  beautiful  star  of  the 
heavens,  is  to  this  day  the  representative  of  this  idea, — as  well 
as  the  planet  Mars  is  that  of  war.  But  under  the  government  of 
God,  as  published  from  heaven,  to  Adam  and  the  patriarchs,  and 
as  finally  embodied  in  the  Bible,  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  -that  passion,  namely,  connubia  made  to  be 


320 


HISTORY   OF  THE    FALLEN 


productive  of  a  vast  amount  of  social  happiness  to  the  human 
race,  in  the  institution  of  marriage.  Out  of  this  trait  of  divine 
wisdom,  arises  the  distinction  of  families,  neighborhoods,  com- 
munities, nations  and  governments,  with  all  the  improvements 
in  human  society,  both  of  arts  and  science,  as  well  as  of  morals 
and  religious  virtue.  But  by  its  prostitution,  all  these  mercies 
are  annihilated,  anarchy  ensues,  the  ties  of  virtuous  love  and 
social  order,  whether  of  families,  neighborhoods,  or  nations, 
are  dashed  into  ruin  ;  while  headlong  furious  liceutiousness,  and 
lust,  as  a  stream  broad  and  deep,  with  the  wreck  of  ages,  plunges 
onward  from  cataract  to  cataract,  till  lost  in  the  depths  of  fathom- 
less ruin. 

"  The  establishment  of  the  worship  of  devils,  (as  invisible 
beings)  so  general  in  some  form,  throughout  a  great  part  of 
the  heathen  world,  is  at  once  a  painful  and  a  curious  subject, 
and  deserves  a  more  careful  investigation  than  it  has  as  yet  re- 
ceived. In  modern  times,  devil-worship  is  seen  systematized  in 
Ceylon,  Burmah,  and  in  many  parts  of  the  East  Indies ;  and  an 
order  of  devil-priests  exists,  though  contrary  to  the  Budhist  reli- 
gion, against  the  temples  ot  which  it  sets  up  rival  altars." —  Wat- 
son's Dictionary,  page  305. 

The  same  author,  in  the  same  work,  and  the  same  page,  says 
that  even  now,  in  and  about  the  country  of  ancient  Ninevah  and 
Bagdad,  are  found  a  people  who  worship  the  devil  as  a  being, 
who  they  say  has  a  quarrel  against  the  Supreme  Being  ;  whose 
customs  and  ceremonies  in  their  worship  is  very  horrid.  They 
justify  themselves  on  the  ground  that  Satan,  the  object  of  their 
veneration,  is  ere  long  to  receive  a  full  pardon  for  his  sins,  and 
then  himself  and  his  followers  are  to  be  taken  to  heaven  together. 
This  ground  of  hope  they  consider  much  safer  than  to  trust  to 
their  own  merits,  as  is  the  confidence  and  faith  of  the  other 
pagan  religions  of  that  country.  The  person  of  the  devil  they 
look  upon  as  sacred,  and  when  they  affirm  anything  solemnly, 
they  do  it  by  his  name.  These  people  at  Ninevah  and  Bagdad, 
who  are  devil- worshippers,  were  once,  or  rather  first  cf  all,  Chris- 
tians, then  Mahometans,  and  lastly  worshippers  of  Satan  ;  they 
are  barbarians,  uncultivated  and  miserable  heathen.  But  how 
came  they  by  the  belief  of  a  devil  at  all?  We  reply,  from  the 
New  Testament,  which  they  once  had  among  them;  or  they 
received  it  from  the  first  disciples,  in  the  first  ages  of  Christianity ; 
who  everywhere  taught  the  real  personal  existence  of  Satan,  and 
of  other  evil  spirits,  as  opposed  to  the  gospel  of  Christ,  the  same 
as  that  book  now  teaches. 

The  grand  policy  of  Satan  and  of  evil  spirits,  the  direct  oppo- 
sers  of  all  good,  and  of  all  happiness  which  is  reasonable,  temper- 
ate, and  virtuous,  is  nov),  and  ever  has  been,  to  derange  and 
destroy,  by  corrupting  the  minds  of  free  agents;  and  having  got 
access  by  way  of  the  fell,  to  the  passions  of  the  human  soul,  have 


'$2\ 

entrenched  tl  by  appropriating  so  far  as 

dec-;  lusion,  andfalseh  I  )  their  own  minions 

pur;  ing  in  producing  wretch- 

edness and  mis;  .1  that  way.  as  there  is  no 

other  in  which  they  are  permitted  as  0  climax 

of  the  appropriation  of  t;  sin  and 

confusion,  to  sions  were  invented,  by  which  they 

became  visible,  and  tl  the  more  sedi  fatuating  the 

minds  of  ile  and  female,  to  that  degree  thai  :he  most  ex- 

travagant and  obscene  b  haviour,  in  the  1  of  their  gods, 

3  of  devol  rious  virtues,  putting 

moral  d.  moral  til  .  in  the  most 

glaring  sense.     This  is  the  very  reason  wl  try,  the  most 

foolish  thing  over  invent)  :  men,  was  in  the 

ancient  ages,  and  is  even  now,  in  many  1  countries,  so  in- 

toxicating to  the  im  igination,  ami  itselfin  the  corrupted 

and  mi-led  minds  of  image-worshippers.  This  was  the  very  rea- 
son why  the  Juvr^.  during  their  early  history,  were  so  frequently 
misled  by  their  pagan  n  .  and  induced  to  forsake  the 

chaste  and  refined  w  instituted  among 

them  by  M  ,  for  that  which  gave  immediate  animal  happi- 
ness. Tot!.  .  in  process  of  time,  were 
consecrat  wilt,  orders  of 
priests  were  created,  and  sacrifices  ordained  to  be  made  lo  them, 
and  celebrated  with  lasci  the  invisible 
powers,  who  were  supposed  to  preside  over  the  passions.  And 
these  invisible  powers  and  !  eings  thus  propitiated  and  worship- 
ed, were  the  very  devils  to  wl  '  s  when  he  says, 
they  sacrificed  t-)  devils  or  evil  spirits.  We  might  here  relate 
many  strange  thi  cting  the  modi  s  of  evoking  evil  spirits 
as  practised  by  nations  who  |  necromancy,  and  of  the  ef- 
fects of  such  evocations  ;  but  do  not  aim  in  this 
work  at  the  pul  n  of  su  nations,  but  only  to  show 
the  Scripture  allusion  to  such  practices  and  such 

Now  by  th  •  c  >ming  of  ( Jhrist  into  the  world,  and  by  his  • 
coming  Satan,  in  his  trial  with  him  in  I  by  the 

introduction  tan  began  to 

lose  his  hold  of  the  war:  hip  and  v<  \  through  the 

avenues  of  the  passions ;  on  which  ;  1  the  seventy 

disciples  had  returned,  and  were  relating  to  the  Saviour  how 
that  evil  spirits  were  subji  cl  to  them,  through  his  name,  he  re- 
plied, that  ho  saw  Satan,  as  lightning,  fall  from  heaven  -the  ele- 
vation he  had  hitherto  p  in  the  worship  and  veneration 
of  men,  no  more  to  rise  to  the  same  universal  height,  and  should 
continue  to  fall  till  tl  hip  of  the  true  God,  the  Creator, 
should  be  established  in  all  the  world.  But  did  the  Savioui 
him  fall  visibly?    The  text,  (see  Luke  x.  18,)  says  he  did: 


322  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLE5T 

f:  And  he  said  unto  them,  I  beheld  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from 
heaven."     Now  as  it  is  said  of  Satan  that  he  is  the  power  and 
the  prince  of  the  air,  Christ  might,  in  the  most  visible  manner, 
have  seen  him  fall  from  the  heights  of  the  atmosphere  to  the  earth 
as  a  token  to  himself,  that  ere  long  he  must  be  cast  down  to  hell 
in  a  maimer  equally  apparent  and  visible  to  spiritual  beings. 
What  were  they  which  the  seventy  disciples  said  were  subject  to 
his  name,  which  they  called  the  devils1  and  which  the  Saviour 
in  reply  said  were  spirits  7  Were  these  the  mere  passions  of  the 
soul  of  man,  or  the  diseases  of  his  body,  or  both  /  We  think  not : 
as  a  spiiit  cannot  be  called  a  passion.     In  Acts  v.  3,  is  a  remark- 
able case,  which  goes  to  prove  the  being  of  Satan,  found  in  the 
words  of  Peter  to  a  member  of  the  church  at  that  time,  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Annanias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart  to  lie  to 
the  Holy  Ghost  f*     On  this  text  we  have  the  following  from  the 
pen  of  Adam  Clarke  :  "  It  was  a  common  belief,  as  well  among 
the  heathen  as  among  the  Jews  and  Christians,  that  when  a  man 
did  evil,  that  he  was  excited  thereto  by  the  influence  and  malice 
of  an  evil  spirit.     The  words  of  St.  Peter  here  prove  that  such 
an  agency  is  not  a  fiction.     If  there  had  been  no  Satan,  as  some 
wish,  and  perhaps  feel  it  their  interest  to  believe,  or  if  this  Satan 
or  devil,  had  no  influence  on  the  souls  of  men,  Peter,  under  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  would  not  have  expressed  himself 
in  such  a  way;  for  if  the  thing  were  not  so,  it  was  the  most  di- 
rect way  to  have  led  the  disciples  to  a  false  opinion  on  this  sub- 
ject, and  to  confirm  them  in  an  old  and  absurd  prejudice." 

But  so  was  not  the  fact,  as  it  was  not  an  old  and  absurd  pre- 
judice, but  an  old  and  well  established  truth ;  as  old  as  from  the 
fall  of  Adam  ;  or  the  mission  of  the  Son  of  God  among  men  was 
without  object,  aim  or  consequence  ;  as  his  professed  and  chief 
object  was  to  destroy  the  devil  and  his  works  in  the  earth — see 
John,  iii.  8:  "For  this  purpose  the  Son  of  God  was  manifest, 
that,  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil."  And  Heb.  ii.  14 : 
K  That  through  death  he  (Christ)  might  destroy  him  that  had 
the  power  of  death,  that  is  the  devil ;"  which,  however,  is  entirely 
false,  except  there  is  \  devil.  If  there  is  no  personal  devil,  how 
is  it  that  St.  Paul  speaks  of  him  in  the  singular  number,  him  that 
hath  the  power  of  death  ?  This  is  very  strrnge,  if  the  Apostle 
only  meant  to  say  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  destroy  the  bad 
passions  of  men,  and  in  a  few,  to  cure  the  diseases  of  the  body. 
But  the  Apostle  is  still  more  singular,  when  he  says  this  devil  or 
Satan,  had  the  'power  of  death,  if  we  are  to  understand  by  it 
nothing  but  the  bad  passions  of  fallen  nature,  especially  if  we 
believe  as  Universal ists  do,  which  is,  that  all  the  passions  of  the 
soul  were  produced  by  the  Creator  ;  as  this  idea  would  ascer- 
tain God  as  the  author  of  this  very  devil  which  he  has  sent  his 
Son  into  the  world  to  destroy ;  so  that  God  is  found  operating 
against  his  own  work,  namely,  human  nature,  in  which  is  situ- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  323 

&ted  the  carnal  mind.  But  this  being  is  equally  brought  to  view 
in  the  following,  as  in  the  above  Scripture — see  2d  Cor.  ii.  11 — 
u  Lest  Satan  should  get  an  advantage  over  us  ;  for  we  are  not 
ignorant  of  his  devices,'' 

Are  we  to  believe  that  St.  Paul's  remarks,  as  above  noticed, 
were  for  the  purpose  of  putting  the  disciples  in  all  the  churches 
among  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  upon  their  guard  against  catching 
some  kind  of  disease  of  body  or  mind,  then  prevalent  among  the 
people?  Certainly,  we  are  thus  to  understand  him,  if  he  had 
no  allusion  to  any  other  devil  than  those  diseases,  the  lusts  and 
passions  of  human  nature — with  the  wiles  and  devices  of  whom 
the  Christians  were  well  acquainted  at  that  time.  The  carnal 
mind,  its  diseases,  and  the  diseases  of  the  body,  however,  we 
should  think  could  not  be  spoken  of  by  so  highly  an  educated 
man  as  was  St.  Paul,  under  the  idea  of  a  person,  as  he  has,  by 
saying,  we  are  not  ignorant  of  ins  devices,  without  violence  to 
the  language  in  which  he  wrote,  as  pluralities  are  not  represent- 
ed in  any  language  by  the  singular. 

In  the  same  epistle,  2d  Cor.  xii.  7,  the  same  Apostle  speaks  of 
the  same  being,  and  calls  him  Satan  ;  who,  it  appears,  was  per- 
mitted to  afflict  St.  Paul  with  some  grievous  disease,  of  which  he 
says,  u  and  lest  I  should  be  exalted  above  measure,  through  the 
abundance  of  the  revelation,  there  was  given  to  me  a  thorn  in 
the  flesh,  the  messenger  of  Satan,  to  buffet  me."  But  some 
have  imagined,  that  this  thorn  in  Paul's  flesh,  was  the  preaching 
of  a  certain  minister,  who  opposed  him  at  Corinth,  by  adultera- 
ting the  gospel  with  heresies  and  untenable  dogmas,  on  which 
account  he  is  supposed  to  have  been  grievously  afflicted.  But  if 
this  were  so,  he  could  not  have  been  a  thorn  in  his  flesh,  but  in 
his  mind  only ;  and  more  than  this,  he  could  not  have  called  it 
his  infirmity,  nor  have  gloried  in  it,  unless  we  can  suppose  he 
would  glory  in  a  wicked  opposition  to  himself  and  the  gospel. 
It  could  not  have  been  any  false  accuser  or  slanderer,  as  in  such 
a  case  he  could  not  have  said  it  was  an  infirmity  of  his  own  flesh 
and  that  he  gloried  in  it,  as  he  could  not  have  gloried  in  being 
falsely  accused.  It  could  not  have  been  a  slanderer  and  a  tra- 
ducer  of  the  gospel,  as  that  would  have  been  a  heinous  sin,  com- 
mitted against  God  ;  on  which  account  the  Apostle  could  never 
have  said  that  he  gloried  in  it,  nor  could  he  have  called  it  his 
own  infirmity,  or  sin. 

That  this  thorn  in  his  flesh  was  a  disease  in  his  own  body, 
appears  from  the  statement  which  he  made  respecting  his  prayer 
to  God  about  it,  which  was,  that  "  for  this  thing  I  besought  the 
Lord  thrice  that  it  might  depart  from  me."  Now  could  he 
have  called  an  accuser,  a  slanderer,  or  an  opposer  of  the  gospel 
a  thing,  as  a  tiling  is  not  a  person  ?  Neither  could  he"  have 
spoken  of  a  person  of  that  description,  nor  of  any  other  descrip- 
tion, by  the  monosyllable  it.  as  it  is  not  a  person  in  any  case 


321  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

But  if  wc  allow  this  thorn  in  his  flesh  to  have  been  a  disease  of 
some  land,  then  the  words  it  and  thing  are  properly  used  in  re- 
lation to  it,  and  not  otherwise.  the  I  iivine  Being  did  not 
see  lit  to  remove*  this  thorn,  again:  I  v.  hich  he  had  prayed  of  set 
purpose  most  earnestly,  n<  rice,  with  what  propriety 
he  could  say,  "  most  gladly,  therefore,  will  I  glory  in  mine  infir- 
mities" of  body,  or  bodily  weakness,  as  thereby  the  power  of 
Christ  might  rest  upon  him,  or  be  the  more  manifest.  If  it  be 
said  that  this  infirmity,  this  thorn,  the  messenger  of  Salem,  was 
the  depraved  nature  of  St.  Paul,  in  common  with  all  other  menr 
who  are  not  regenerated,  then  it  follows  that  God  would  not 
sanctify  him  from  all  sin,  which  he  has  promised  to  do  to  all 
who  ask  him,  and  makes  the  Apostle  to  say,  that  most  gladly  he 
gloried  in  his  depravity  and  evil  dispositions  of  mind,  so  that  the 
power  of  Christ  might  be  manifest  in  him  \  which  would  be  a 
contradiction,  as  the  power  of  Christ  consists  in  the  sanctifica- 
tion  of  the  mind,  and  not  in  compelling  the  soul  to  remain  in 
its  sins  and  pollutions. 

There  is  therefore  but  one  way  to  solve  the  problem,  and  that 
is,  to  allow  that  there  is  a  Satan,  the  same  who  misled  Eve, 
accused  Job,  tempted  or  tried  the  Saviour  in  the  wilderness,  en- 
tered into  Judas  Tscariot,  desired  to  have  Peter  that  he  might  sift 
him  as  wheat,  deceives  the  whole  world,  and  was  permitted  to 
buffet  St.  Paul,  with  the  infliction  of  some  grievous  sore  in  his 
body,  called  a  thorn  in  his  flesh,  or  the  messenger  of  Satan,  and 
would  have  killed  the  Apostle,  as  he  would  have  killed  Job,  had 
lie  not  been  restrained. 

That  there  is  such  a  being  is  still  further  shown,  2d  Thess.  ii. 
2,  4,  9,  where  St.  Paul  is  showing  beforehand  the  rise  and  com- 
ing of  a  character  which  he  denominates  the  mem  of  sin,  which 
should  exalt  himself  above  all  earthly  power,  and  even  above 
God  himself,  so  that  he  as  God  would  sit  in  the  temple  of  God, 
the  Christian  church,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God  on  earth. 
But  the  peculiar  method  by  which  lie  should  rise  to  such  power 
in  and  over  the  church,  as  to  claim  the  worship,  obedience  and 
veneration  of  its  members,  should  be  by  signs  and  lying  won- 
ders, after  the  working  of  Satan,  with  ail  deceivableness  of  un- 
righteousness. But  if  there  is  no  Satan,  or  devil,  who  is  the  fa- 
ther of  lies,  whose  intellectual  powers  are  greater  than  those  of 
men,  how  is  ii  that  the  Apostle  has  not  slated  the  ease  according 
to  truth,  which  he  has  not,  if  Universalists  are  right?  Be  should 
have  said  that  this  man  of  sin,  whatever  it  was  or  is,  should  rise 
into  power,  by  and  after  the  working  of  human  nature,  or  the 
carnal  mind,  instead  of  Satan  ;  which  name,  in  no  language,  is 
put  for  human  nature,  and  therefore  cannot  be  descriptive  of  hu- 
man nature,  nor  of  its  passions,  however  bad  they  are. 

The  Apostle  states,  that  the  coming  of  this  man  of  sin,  should 
be  after,  or  likd  the  working  of  Satan  :  by  winch  we  perceive 


ASGFA.fi  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  32;"> 

he  cannot  moan  human  nature,  as  it  would  be  foolishness  to  say 
that  human  nature  was  like  itself]  as  tins  method  could  afford 
no  data  of  corapai  eon  :  as  v.  e  see  there  is  between  tins  man  ol 
sin  and  Satan.     The  result  is,  therefore,  that  there  is  such  a 

being  as  ►Satan,  distinct  from  human  nature  and  human  passion 
and  exists  after  a  different  manner  or  mod;1. 

In  the  book  of  Revelations  we  find  tins  being  spoken  of  in 
such  a  manner  as  is  impossible  to  be  interpreted  of  a  disease,  ei- 
t'i  t  of  body  or  mind — of  any  human  being,  or  of  the  bad  pas- 
sions of  human  beings,  which  existed  in  the  days  of  Paul,  or  in 
any  age  or  nation  of  the  earth.  We  will  give  the  quotations, 
and  leave  the  reader  to  judge.  (See  Rev.  xx.,  1,  2,  'S,  7,  S,  10.) 
••And  I  saw  (prospectively)  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven, 
having  the  key  (knowledge  how  to  bind  such  a  being)  of  the 
bottomless  pit.  (hell)  and  a  great  chain  (power)  in  his  hand. 
And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the 
devil  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand  years,  (which  time 
will  be  the  milleneum.)  And  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit, 
(endless  in  duration)  and  shut  him  up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him 
that  he  should  deceive  (deception  can  be  practised  only  by  an 
intellectual  being)  the  nations  no  more  till  the  thousand  years 
(the  milleneum)  should  be  fulfilled,  and  after  that  he  must  be 
loosed  for  a  little  season,  (a  few  years  to  try  such  as  shall  be  born 
during  the  time  of  the  milleneum,  as  there  will  be  no  sin  in  the 
earth  during  that  period.)  And  when  the  thousand  years  are 
(shall  have)  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  and 
shall  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  which  are  (or  shall  be)  in  the 
four  quarters  of  the  earth.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them 
was  (is  to  be)  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  (hell) 
where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  torment- 
ed day  and  night,  forever  and  ever." 

But  if  the  foregoing  is  not  to  be  literally  fulfilled,  how  extra- 
ordinary is  all  this.  Can  it  be  that  the  divine  inspiration  should 
indite  in  the  heart  of  his  Apostle,  a  matter  so  calculated  to  estab- 
lish beyond  all  doubt  so  dreadful  an  error? — a  fiction  so  magni- 
ficently foolish,  as  of  the  existence  of  a  being  which  does  not 
exist  at  all.  Can  it  be  that  God  would  interest  himself  to 
tablish  this  fiction  in  the  world,  and  then,  on  the  ground  of  this 
very  fiction  to  get  a  great  name  among  men,  by  pretending  to 
overcome  this  non-existence? — which,  however,  he  has  done,  if 
there  is  no  such  being  as  Satan,  who  is  of  a  nature  and  mode  of 
being  different  from  that  of  man.  If  indeed  it  were  true,  that 
this  Sat, in.  of  winch  the  Revelator  has  here  given  such  a  cir- 
cumstantial account,  was  some  slanderer,  accuser  or  adversary. 
or  enemy  of  Christianity,  in  the  time  of  St.  John,  to  whom  he 
has  here  alluded,  there  is  then  a  mighty  difficulty  to  get  over, 
as  it  is  impossible  to  point  out  the  man.  person  or  character,  and 
to  show  when   and  where  he  was  put,    when  put  into  the  place 


326  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

called  a  bottomless  pit,  for  the  long  space  of  a  thousand  years, 
and  then  let  out  again.  Or  if  it  be  supposed  to  mean  the  united 
operation  of  a  succession  of  wicked  emperors  or  powers  engaged 
against  Christianity,  the  same  difficulty  arises,  as  in  the  case  of 
one  man,  because  he  that  believes  it,  must  show,  for  his  own  sa- 
tisfaction, how  they  were  shut  up  a  thousand  years,  as  said  by 
the  Revelator,  and  then  let  out  again  :  which  we  think  is  not 
possible.  Or,  if  it  be  imagined  that  this  Satan,  old  dragon,  ser- 
pent, or  devil,  signifies  the  sinful  nature  of  man,  taken  collect- 
ively, as  existing  in  the  whole  race,  and  is  here  personified,  and 
named  Satan,  the  difficulty  still  continues,  because  he  that  be- 
lieves it  must  show,  for  his  own  satisfaction,  when  human  na- 
ture was  thus  the  victim  of  the  divine  vengeance  ;  and  how  and 
when  thus  shut  up  in  a  pit  a  thousand  years,  and  then  let  out 
again.  Or,  if  the  description  is  considered  as  wholly  figurative, 
the  difficulty  still  remains,  which  consists  in  making  out  what  it 
signifies ;  what  it  was  that  was  to  be  shut  up  a  thousand  years, 
and  then  let  out  again,  which  took  the  power  and  knowledge  of 
a  mighty  figurative  angel  from  heaven  to  accomplish.  But  if 
the  account  is  received  as  literal,  then,  with  the  utmost  propriety 
it  can  be  conceived  of,  that  a  spiritual  being,  such  as  Satan  is 
described  to  be  in  all  parts  of  the  Bible  where  he  is  spoken  of, 
can  be  seized  upon  by  such  a  being  as  a  mighty  angel  from  hea- 
ven, and  confined  wheresoever  the  Divine  Being  shall  or  has  ap- 
pointed, and  can  allow  his  release  for  a  time,  at  the  end  of  the 
thousand  years,  as  it  is  written  he  will  do. 

Thus  we  have  shown  how  devils  were  worshipped  in  ancient 
times,  and  in  what  manner  they  acquired  the  veneration  and 
fear  of  men,  as  well  also  as  further  proofs  of  his  real  being.  We 
now  hasten  to  other  matters,  of  en  equally  interesting  nature. 


An  Enquiry  as  to  the    Cause  of  Sickness,  Diseases,  and 
Death;  is  it  of  God  or  Satan  ?  with  other  Curious  Matters. 

In  this  place,  we  think  it  not  amiss  to  venture  a  few  remarks 
on  the  real  cause  of  the  disease,  sickness  and  death  of  the  human 
race ;  a  subject,  perhaps,  not  so  frequently  a  matter  of  reflection 
as  are  many  others.  We  are  apt  to  say,  when  any  one  is  afflict- 
ed, diseased,  distressed,  tormented,  or  dead,  that  the  Lord  has 
done  it,  the  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away.  Now, 
this  is  right  to  say  and  to  believe,  if  we  speak  of  it,  and  believe, 
respecting  it,  according  to  truth,  and  a  right  understanding  of 
the  subject.  With  this  view,  a  right  understanding  of  the  mat- 
ter, we  ask  the  following  questions : — Is  there  sin  in  existence  ? 


AS'GELS  OF  TIIK  SC  RIPTt'RES.  32? 

It  is  answered  yes.  Was  God  the  cause  of  it  7  It  is  answered 
no  ;  for  if  he  was,  then  sin  is  not  sin,  as  God  can  do  no  sin,  nor 
be  its  cause,  direct  nor  indirect,  immediate  or  remote.  What 
then  was  the  first  cause  of  sin  ?  It  is  answered,  Satan  or  the 
devil  was  its  cause,  and  originated  the  first  sin.  This  is  believed 
by  all  Christendom,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  sects,  who  have 
indeed  discovered  the  exact  contrary,  inasmuch  as  they  say  there 
is  no  Satan  or  devil,  as  is  commonly  believed  ;  by  which  they 
make  God  the  author  of  sin,  if  indeed  there  is  any  sin  on  that 
view  of  the  subject,  in  the  world.  But  as  held  by  others,  and  as 
established  by  the  Scriptures,  it  is  plain  that  the  devil  was  the 
author  of  sin.  If  the  devil  then,  is  the  originator  of  sm,  then  is 
not  the  devil  the  true  cause  of  the  diseases  and  death  of  the  hu- 
man race  ?  as  it  was  that  evil  being  who  misled  our  first  mother 
to  sin,  on  which  account  death  entered  into  the  world  and  has 
passed  upon  all  men,  because  that  ail  have  sinned  in  our  first 
head,  Adam  and  Eve. 

But  God  is  the  author  of  life,  and  not  of  death,  among  intel- 
lectual beings,  and  everywhere  as  in  our  earth,  so  far  as  is 
consistent,  counteracts  death  and  diseases,  and  will  finally  so 
counteract,  as  to  destroy  both  death  and  its  cause,  which  is  the 
devil,  who  has  the  power  of  death,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  bodies 
and  the  souls  of  the  righteous  after  this  life.  But  as  Satan,  who 
induced  the  sin  of  Eve  and  her  husband,  thereby  obtained  a 
right  to  kill  the  human  race  with  temporal  death,  cannot  now, 
consistent  with  the  government  of  God  be  prevented  ;  but  will 
continue  to  exert  this  power  and  right  till  the  age  of  the  earth,  or 
the  probationary  state  of  man  shall  be  completed.  It  was  on  ac- 
count of  this  right,  obtained  however  wickedly,  in  seducing  the 
mind  of  Eve,  and  by  her  as  a  means,  the  mind  of  Adam,  that  it 
was  appointed  unto  man  once  to  die,  there  having  entered  by  sin 
the  seeds  of  death,  and  final  dissolution  of  the  organized  part  of 
our  race,  to  wit,  the  body  of  man.  It  is  true,  however,  that  as 
man's  body  was  formed  of  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  was  made 
dependant  for  its  continuance  in  health  and  undying  condition, 
upon  various  means,  as  food,  water,  clothing,  breath  and  other 
circumstances  ;  that  if  those  means  should  have  been  withdrawn 
death  would  have  been  the  consequence,  even  if  sin  had  not  en- 
tered into  the  world  at  all.  But  against  this  natural  tendency  to 
dissolution,  God  in  his  providence,  fixed  appetites,  and  the  love 
of  life  ;  while  himself  was  engaged  to  prevent  all  fatal  accidents, 
so  that  death  could  not  have  entered  if  sin  had  not  been  com- 
mitted ;  but  sin  being  committed,  gave  the  devil,  who  has  the 
power  of  death,  the  right  to  kill  the  human  race,  as  before  re- 
marked. We  do  not  forget,  however,  that  the  idea  of  death  had 
been  suggested  by  the  Divine  Being  when  he  srave  the  law  to 
Adam  and  Eve  respecting  the  tree  of  knowledge  ;  which  was 
the  very  time  when  death  was  conditionally  ordained  or  appoint- 


328  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

ed.  and  depended  for  its  existence  in  fact)  on  a  breach  of  God's 
holy  law,  which  breach  God  did  not  sanction  ;  so  that  death  is 
properly  and  originally  of  the  devil,  and  not  of  God,  any  more 
than  sin  was.  At  the  moment  of  the  transgression,  our  iirst  pa- 
rents were  struck  with  death, and  commenced  their  descent  toward 
the  grave,  having  forfeited  the  peculiar  providence  of  God  in  the 
use  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  in  preventing  the  occurrence 
of  fatal  accidents,  so  that  in  a  few  years  he  returned  to  dust,  from 
whence  he  came.  At  the  same  moment,  that  of  the  breach  of  the 
law,  Adam  and  Eve  became  also  exposed  to  eternal  death,  from 
which  there  could  have  been  no  escape,  except  there  had  been 
found  a  ransom  beforehand,  namely,  the  seed  of  the  woman, 
which  ere  long  was  to  be  announced  to  them,  as  the  reason  of  the 
continuance  of  their  natural  or  animal  lives,  as  well  also  as  that 
of  a  chance  to  escape  by  that  same  seed,  the  eternal  death  of  both 
soul  and  body  in  hell,  which  is  called  in  the  Scripture  the  second 
death.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  Redeemer,  who  was  esteemed  of 
God  as  slain  from  the  very  foundation  of  the  world— Rev.  xiii. 
8 — Adam  and  Eve  would  have  been  instantly  damned,  and  sent 
into  hades,  till  such  time  as  God  should  have  seen  fit  to  cast  this 
earth  into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  its  final  destiny,  where 
the  devil  and  his  angels,  are  at  the  end  of  the  world  also  to  arrive, 
as  stated  by  Matthew,  xxv.  41.  This  would  forever  ha\^e  pre- 
vented the  existence  of  the  human  race  by  Adam  and  Eve,  as 
surely  as  the  drying  up  of  a  fountain  destroys  the  stream  which 
might  flow  from  it :  Satan,  therefore,  was  the  cause  of  death,  but 
God  the  cause  of  life,  both  animal  and  moral,  both  originally 
and  when  both  kinds  of  life  were  forfeited  and  lost  in  the  sin  of 
our  first  parents,  they  were  restored  in  Christ  the  Redeemer,  so 
that  every  way  he  is  the  author  of  life  and  health,  but  never  of 
death,  moral  or  temporal. 

We  do  not  forget,  however,  that  when  Job  had  suffered  the 
loss  of  not  only  his  property,  but  that  of  all  his  children  by  death, 
that  he  replied,  the  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away, 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord;  yet  this  does  not  establish  it  as 
being  done  by  the  Almighty  ;  when  we  know  it  was  done  by 
Satan,  who  had  the  divine  permission  to  take  the  lives  of  Job's 
children,  who  for  aught  that  can  be  objected,  had  in  some  way 
by  acts  unknown  to  their  father,  forfeited  their  lives  to  the  just 
judgment  of  an  avenging  providence  ;  on  which  account,  Satan 
had  a  risjht  to  destroy  them  if  they  had  rejected  all  opportunities 
of  amendment  and  repentance,  till  forbearance  in  the  Divine 
Being  was  no  longer  consistent.  This,  no  doubt,  is  an  eternal 
rule  of  the  divine  government,  that  when  forbearance  and  a 
lenient  state  of  circumstances  are  without  effect  to  produce  piety 
and  moral  excellence,  that  such  lenient  circumstances  must,  of 
necessity,  he  abrogated,  or  the  divine  government  becomes  a 
coadjutor  to  sin.     And  if  abrogated,  then  severity,  without  mix- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  329 

ture  of  lenity  or  mercy,  succeeds  ;  as  it  is  impossible  to  be  other- 
wise, without  supposing  the  Divine  Government  indifferent  to 
moral  evil — which  would  be  blasphemy  even  to  suppose.  But 
does  not  God  know  beforehand,  the  inefficiency,  in  thousands  of 
instances,  of  lenient  circumstances,  to  produce  moral  virtue? 
Most  assuredly; — yet  as  intellectual  beings  are  created,  and 
created  free,  they  must  be  dealt  with  as  such,  or  God  himself 
could  not  maintain  his  justice  of  character,  nor  his  Divine  Gov- 
ernment,— as  any  other  condition  of  affairs  would  destroy  the 
very  idea  of  Divine  Government  altogether. 

But  there  are  many  who  believe  that  death  was  originally 
designed,  and  intended  to  take  away  from  the  earth  its  over 
increase  of  human  population — which,  of  necessity,  would  take 
place,  on  the  ground  of  uninterrupted  propagation — and  there- 
fore, that  death  takes  place  according  to  the  order  of  nature,  the 
same  as  the  death  of  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms ;  and 
was  not  occasioned  by  the  sin  of  our  first  parents,  as  generally 
believed.  But  this  opinion  is  rejected,  when  we  perceive  that 
sickness,  misery,  pain  and  sorrow,  are  the  paths  which  lead  to 
death, — all  of  which,  are  afflictions  of  the  most  acute  descrip- 
tions, and  never  therefore,  could  have  been  the  original  order,  in 
the  Creation  of  God ;  which  opinion  is  justified  by  the  express 
statement  of  the  Creator,  who  says,  "He  doth  not  willingly 
afflict,  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men."  "  Out  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Most  High  proceedcth  not  evil  and  good."  Lam.  iii.  33,  38. 
From  which,  we  conclude,  that  from  his  hand  as  a  benevolent  and 
consistent  being,  there  does  not  proceed  both  evil  and  good,  but 
good  only ;  and  that  wherever  evil  is  found  of  a  physical  char- 
acter, among  the  human  race,  it  is  to  be  traced  to  sin,  as  the 
cause,  which  is  often  ascertained  and  felt,  as  the  natural  conse- 
quence of  evil  courses  ;  while  also  not  unfrequently,  evil  spirits, 
even  the  very  devil  himself,  is  permitted  to  administer  in  his  own 
way — as  in  the  case  of  Job,  and  as  he  desired  to  do  with  Peter, 
but  was  not  allowed.  Death  counteracts  life,  and  therefore, 
cannot  have  God  for  its  author,  as  such  a  proceedure  were  con- 
fusion on  the  very  face  of  the  subject.  We  know  very  well 
however,  that  if  some  way  were  not  originally  designed  to 
remove  from  the  earth's  surface,  the  human  race,  as  its  numbers 
should  become  too  great  for  their  convenience,  as  most  certainly 
would  have  been  the  case,  that  there  must  have  ensued  dis- 
order, confusion,  and  finally  death,  even  if  sin  had  never  have 
been  committed  by  one  individual  of  the  race.  There  is  no  way 
to  avoid  this  conclusion,  as  every  located  tangible  being,  must 
have  not  only  room  to  subsist  in,  but  the  means  to  subsist  by. 
But  if  the  human  race  had  gone  on  to  increase  their  numbers 
according  to  the  original  blessing,  which  was  not  only  to  subdue 
but  also  to  replenish  the  earth  with  human  beings,  there  would 

23 


330  HTSTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

have  transpired  but  a  few  ages,  when  the  earth  would  have  been 
so  over  peopled  that  sufficient  food  and  room  could  not  been  found 
to  accommodate  them.  But  as  a  preventive  to  such  a  state  of 
things — without  calling  in  the  aid  of  the  destroyer — the  transla- 
tion of  the  human  race  to  heaven,  in  such  numbers  as  should 
opportunely  prevent  any  such  catastrophe,  would  have  been 
resorted  to.  The  entire  translation  of  body  and  soul,  from  earth 
to  heaven,  from  a  tangible  and  gross  condition,  to  one  of  a  sub- 
limated and  superior  nature,  the  same  as  the  bodies  of  Enoch 
and  Elijah,  would  have  taken  place,  and  that  in  numbers,  and 
at  periods,  as  would  have  best  suited  the  happines  of  all.  This 
is  as  easily  conceived  of,  and  as  easily  believed,  as  that  at  the 
time  of  the  last  resurrection,  all  such  persons  as  shall  then  be  on 
the  earth,  and  shall  be  righteous  who  have  not  died,  shall  be 
changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  caught  up  into  the  air 
to  be  forever  with  the  Lord.  1st  Cor.  xv.  51,  1st  Thess.  iv.  17. 
Now  this  will  be  the  translation  of  body  and  soul,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes,  the  same — specifically  the  same,  as  would  have 
been  the  case  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  as  long  as  God 
would  have  seen  fit  to  have  continued  the  globe  in  being,  had 
not  sin  entered  our  world  and  prevented  this  original  order  and 
intention  of  the  Divine  Being. 

But  some  may  enquire, — was  God  therefore,  disappointed  be- 
cause his  intention  in  this  respect,  was  thwarted  ?  "We  answer, 
by  no  means ;  as  such  a  thing  is  impossible :  as  we  do  not 
believe  that  the  Divine  Being  has  arbitrarily  intended  or  fixed 
anything  as  indubitably  certain,  which  is  left  to  the  volitions  of 
free  agents ;  on  which  account,  however  contrary  we  may  act 
to  divine  direction,  God  is  not  disappointed  ;  as  all  that  class  of 
occurrences  and  consequences  which  arise  out  of  the  acts  of  free 
agents,  are  not  arbitrarily  fixed  by  the  divine  decree  or  power ; 
which  were  it  so,  would  fix  all  things  in  fate,  and  prevent  the 
possibility  of  moral  government  at  all,  and  nullify  the  who1  e  pro- 
ceedure  of  the  Almighty,  in  his  universe  of  intellectual  beings. 
The  occurrence  of  death,  therefore,  is  no  disappointment  to  God, 
though  his  good  intentions  are  thereby  thwarted,  in  relation  to 
intellectual  free  agents.  For  who  can  tell  the  amount  of  enjoy- 
ment the  human  race  have  lost  by  having  fallen  into  sin  through 
Adam,  even  in  this  life,  besides  the  pain,  ignominy  and  horrors  of 
dying,  and  the  long  lapse  of  putrifaction,  silence  and  inertness  of 
the  body,  to  take  place  from  the  time  of  our  death  till  our  resur- 
rection at  the  last  day,  together  with  the  liability  of  being  damned 
in  hell,  on  account  of  onr  own  offences.  All  this  would  have 
been  prevented,  if  our  moral  as  well  as  temporal  representative 
had  kept  his  first  estate.  Who  had  not  rather,  if  it  were  now 
possil.le,  be  translated  to  a  superior  state  in  the  supernatural 
world,  in  tht;  twinkling  of  an  eye,  than  to  pass  through  some  dole- 
ful sickness,  or  mangling  accident,  down  to  the  grave,  and  there 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  331 

to  lie  many  ages,  to  be  tossed  here  and  there  by  the  diggers  of 
earth,  as  is  often  the  case,  and  perhaps  be  moulded  into  bricks, 
and  other  uses  to  the  living  ?  Who  had  not  rather  gain  all  this 
time  thus  lost  to  the  body,  and  enjoy  it  in  a  happy  existence, 
actively  employed  in  the  mystic  evolutions  of  the  operations  of 
industrious  heaven,  than  to  be  cast  into  darkness  so  great  a  lapse 
of  ages,  as  may  be  the  case?  All  this  kind  of  good,  which  was 
intended  in  our  first  creation,  has  been  thwarted  by  the  occur- 
rence of  sin,  in  the  persons  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

A  resurrection  from  the  dead  of  all  the  human  race,  is  the  very 
evidence  that  God  is  not  the  author  of  death ;  for  if  he  is,  he 
would  never  thus  counteract  his  own  works  by  a  resurrection, 
when,  translation  without  the  evil,  the  pain,  and  dishonor  of 
death,  would  have,  in  a  most  glorious  manner,  produced  the 
transition  from  earth  to  a  celestial  condition,  in  correspondence 
with  a  perpetuity  of  being,  the  inheritance  of  every  intellectual 
creature  of  the  universe,  much  better  than  to  have  passed  thither 
through  the  gloomy  horrors  of  a  corporeal  dissolution.  There 
never  was  a  more  preposterous  idea  propagated,  than  that  death 
is  according  to  the  original  will  of  God,  and  everywhere  takes 
place,  according  to  the  first  and  primeval  order  of  nature,  as  it 
respected  the  race  of  man.  Accordingly,  from  the  good  and 
benevolent  nature  of  the  Supreme  Being,  not  an  instant  of  time 
would  be  allowed  to  pass,  ere  pain,  sickness  and  death,  would 
be  abolished  from  the  earth,  were  it  consistent,  and  the  original 
plan  go  immediately  into  effect,  that  of  translation  from  the  earth 
to  a  spiritual  condition.  But  so  long  as  depravity  and  sin 
remain,  so  long  will  death  reign ;  for  by  sin  death,  temporal, 
entered  into  the  world,  and  has  passed  upon  all  men,  because  all 
men  are  concluded  under  sin,  on  account  of  the  defalcation  of 
the  root  and  fountain  of  the  race,  Adam  and  Eve.  Sin  and 
depravity,  the  children  of  Satan,  is  the  reason  why  Satan  has  a 
right  to  kill  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  as  these  qualifications  are 
the  agents  and  representatives  of  himself,  who  have  been  received 
and  harbored  by  us ;  on  which  account  we  have  struck  hands 
with  death,  and  chosen  it  for  a  companion,  and  entered  into  fel- 
lowship with  it,  and  must  therefore  abide  by  it,  till  such  time  as 
God  shall  destroy  in  hell  this  author  of  death,  which  is  the  devil. 
But  his  power  is  restrained  in  some  degree,  on  account  of  the 
atonement,  which  so  far  benefits  every  individual  of  human 
kind,  as  to  allow  them  being,  the  blessings  of  animal  and  intel- 
lectual  life,  with  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  salvation  from  sin, 
and  an  assurance  of  heaven  ;  yet  death  must  and  will  finally 
devour  its  victim,  and  hold  it  till  the  resurrection,  which  e\en 
the  Diviue  Being  cannot  consistently  prevent  till  that  time.  Till 
then,  Satan  will  reign  in  a  degree,  and  he  a  minister  of  distress, 
in  as  many  cases  as  are  possible  ;  yet  alleviating  circumstances  ob- 
tained on  the  ground  of  the  atonement,  in  the  midst  of  sufferings 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

are  dispensed ;  while  it  appears,  that  the  atonement,  as  great  as 
it  is,  cannot,  till  the  round  of  certain  periods,  completely  triumph 
orer  this  destroyer. 

That  Satan  is  the  sole  cause  of  misery  to  the  human  race, 
we  further  prove  from  Luke,  xiii.  16,  as  follows :  "  Ought  not 
this  woman,  (said  the  Saviour,)  being  a  daughter  of  Abraham, 
whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo,  these  eighteen  years,  (to)  be  loosed 
from  this  bond  ?"  from  which  he  then  set  her  free,  so  that  she 
immediately  walked  erect  and  strong.  On  this  subject  we  have 
the  following  from  the  pen  of  Adam  Clarke  :  "  The  woman's 
infirmity,  what  was  its  origin  ?  Sin.  Had  this  never  entered 
the  world,  there  had  been  neither  pain,  distortion  or  death. 
Who  was  the  principal  in  it  ?  Satan  ;  and  demons  have  often 
acted  in  and  on  the  persons  of  men  and  women ;  and  it  is  not 
impossible  that  the  principle  part  of  unaccountable  and  inexpli- 
cable disorders,  still  come  from  that  source." 

In  pursuance  of  this  fact,  that  of  Satan's  having  wickedly 
obtained  a  right  to  afflict  the  children  of  men,  in  certain  degrees, 
and  under  certain  limited  conditions ;  which  conditions  are 
known  to  the  invisible  powers  of  both  the  good  and  the  bad  in 
another  world  ;  we  have  not  a  doubt  but  he  had  requested  of  our 
Lord,  at  a  certain  time,  the  privilege  of  tormenting  Peter,  the 
disciple  of  Christ,  out  of  the  ordinary  way  of  human  troubles, 
and  in  some  very  awful  manner.  We  found  our  opinion  res- 
pecting this,  on  the  extraordinary  announcement  of  the  Saviour 
to  that  disciple,  found  Luke,  xxii.  31  :  "And  the  Lord  said 
Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  hath  desired  to  have  you,  that  he 
may  sift  you  as  wheat."  By  which  we  understand,  Satan  desired 
to  torment  Peter,  as  he  did  poor  Job,  with  the  view  of  not  only 
causing  him  to  apostatize  from  Christianity,  but  to  torment  him 
with  some  dreadful  disease  in  his  flesh  and  mind,  or  both.  Was 
it  Peter's  carnal  mind,  which  had  desired  to  sift  him  as  wheat  ? 
and  yet  Peter,  it  seems,  knew  nothing  about  it  until  Christ  in- 
formed him  of  it,  saying,  Simon,  Simon,  Satan  hath  desired  to 
have  you  ;  this  must  have  been  the  fact,  however,  if  Universal- 
ists  are  right  on  the  subject  of  there  being  no  devil  but  that  of 
the  human  spirit. 

Does  not  this  notice  of  Satan  by  our  Lord,  prove  beyond  all 
contradiction,  the  real  being  of  such  a  spirit  ?  for  in  this  case 
there  was  no  sickness,  no  derangement  of  body  or  of  mind,  no 
wickedness,  reproved  in  Peter,  nor  any  slanderer  or  accuser  of 
that  disciple  mentioned ;  but  simply  this,  that  Satan  had  desired 
to  sift  him  by  afflictions,  as  a  farmer  sifts  his  wheat  in  the  wind, 
with  great  commotion  and  violence.  Is  it  possible  for  desire  to 
exist  independent  of  being  ?  We  think  not ;  yet  here  is  a  case 
of  desire  independent  of  any  being,  except  it  is  allowed  that 
Satan  was  that  being,  who  originated  that  desire.  Who  ever 
heard  of  thought  or  desire  existing  in  an  abstract  condition  from 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  333 

that  of  being  ?  If  the  thing  is  impossible,  it  follows,  therefore, 
that  Satan,  who  desired  to  have  Peter,  was  possessed  of  mind, 
and  mind  is  being,  and  being-  is  existence,  which  identifies  the 
being  called  Satan,  in  that  text,  as  a  mental,  conscious,  thinking 
creature  ;  and  is  all  the  evidence  by  which  the  identity  of  any 
being  whatever  can  be  ascertained,  who  are  of  an  intellectual 
cast.  This  being,  therefore,  was  the  devil,  whose  ways  and 
whose  thoughts  and  desires  were  not  hidden  from  the  omniscient 
eye  of  God,  to  whom  the  thoughts  of  all  the  spiritual  beings  of 
eternity,  are  and  were  always  open,  as  well  as  in  that  case  ;  for 
he  needed  not  that  any  one  should  inform  him  respecting  the 
thoughts  of  spirits,  any  more  than  of  the  thoughts  of  man.  That 
Satan  sometimes  has  power,  even  over  the  bodies  of  good  men, 
by  the  means  of  the  wicked,  is  shown  Rev.  ii.  10:  :<  Fear  none 
of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer  ;  behold  the  devil  shall 
cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried."  By  which 
it  appears  there  is  not  a  doubt  but  they  were  tried  by  death,  as 
martyrs  ;  for  when  the  Revelator  wrote  the  above  text,  it  was  a 
time  of  great  and  dreadful  persecution  to  the  Christians,  in  all 
parts  of  the  Roman  empire.  By  which,  and  the  foregoing,  we 
are  satisfied  that  Satan,  with  his  evil  angels,  are  the  cause  of  all 
the  sorrows  and  death  of  the  human  race,  primarily,  instead  of 
the  Divine  Being.  All  those  cases  of  judicial  punishment  by 
death,  either  according  to  the  ecclesiastical  law  of  the  Jews,  or 
by  the  immediate  judgment  of  God,  as  in  the  case  of  Korah  and 
his  company,  the  false  prophets  slain  by  the  hand  of  Elijah  the 
Tishbite,  in  the  temple  of  Baal,  and  at  the  brook  Kishon  ;  and 
those  one  hundred  in  number,  who  were  destroyed  by  fire  from 
heaven,  at  the  intercession  of  Elisha  the  prophet,  with  Annanias 
and  Saphira ;  the  people  who  were  drowned  in  the  flood,  and 
the  Sodomites,  with  many  other  instances  of  the  like  character, 
mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  are  to  be  ascribed  to  the  agency  of 
evil  spirits,  in  seducing  mankind  to  sin  against  God,  so  that  his 
providence  is  withdrawn,  and  they  given  over  to  this  destroyer, 
the  devil,  so  far  at  any  rate,  as  relates  to  the  life  of  the  body,  to 
which  our  remarks  in  this  chapter  are  chiefly  confined.  But  to 
close  this  subject,  we  will  remark,  that  though  Satan  has,  by  the 
sin  of  our  first  parents,  gained  the  power  of  death  over  our  race, 
and  would  at  one  fell  sweep  have  swept  them  in  their  federal 
head  into  hell,  yet  the  atonement  purchased  back  animal  life, 
with  all  the  ameliorating  circumstances  of  human  existence,  from 
infancy  till  death,  with  all  that  train  of  things  denominated  the 
providence  of  God  among  men  ;  but  not  to  the  exclusion  of  mneh 
sorrow  and  of  final  death,  as  this  was  impossible,  or  it  would  have 
been  done. 


334  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

On  the  subject  of  Evil  Sprits,  with  Proofs  of  their  being 
Supernatural  Beings,  and  of  their  Acts  among  Men,  still 
further  than  heretofore  advanced  in  this  Work  ;  of  Simon 
Magus,  and  the  Gnostics,  fyc. 

"There  was  an  opinion  extant  among  the  Jews,  and  is  yet 
extant,  that  there  was  a  certain  fallen  angel,  who  was  called 
Malak-hamaveth,  the  angel  of  death,  i.  e.  he  who  had  the  power 
of  separating  the  soul  from  the  body,  when  God  decreed  that  any 
one  should  die.  Sammael  is  a  common  name  for  the  devil 
among  the  Jews  ;  and  they  have  a  tradition  that  the  angel  of 
death  shall  be  destroyed  by  the  Messiah,  and  that  at  a  certain 
time  Sammael  said  to  the  holy  blessed  God,  "Lord  of  the  world 
show  me  the  Messiah  ?"  The  Lord  answered,  come  and  see 
him.  And  when  Sammael  had  seen  him  he  was  terrified,  and 
his  countenance  fell,  and  he  said,  most  certainly  this  is  the  Mes- 
siah, who  shall  cast  me  and  all  the  nations  into  hell,  as  it  is  writ- 
ten, Isaiah,  xxv.  8:  The  Lord  shall  swallow  up  death  forever. 
This  is  a  remarkable  account,  and  the  Apostle  shows  that  it  is 
true,  for  the  Messiah  came  to  destroy  him  who  had  the  power  of 
death,  which  is  the  devil." — Clarke.  The  Apostle  Paul  speaks 
of  this  being,  with  others  of  the  like  character,  in  Ephesians,  vi. 
12.  as  follows  :  "  Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,  that  ye  may 
be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  we  wrestle 
not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities,  against 
powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against 
spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places."  That  this  allusion  did 
not  refer  to  kings,  rulers,  or  powers,  and  combinations  of  men 
formed  against  the  gospel,  is  evident  from  the  Apostle's  remarka- 
ble qualifying  words,  which  are,  " we  wrestle  not  against  flesh 
and  blood,"  of  which  the  human  opponents  of  the  religion  of 
Christ  were  composed.  And  who  are  the  rulers  of  the  darkness 
of  this  world  ?  The  answer  is  according  to  the  text,  that  Satan 
and  the  subordinate  demons,  the  nobles  of  his  empire.  "Com- 
mentators in  general,"  says  Dr.  Clarke,  "on  these  verses,  1  elieve 
that  by  principalities  and  powers,  is  meant  the  different  orders  of 
evil  spirits,  who  are  employed  under  the  devil,  their  great  leader 
and  head,  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in  the  world,  and 
to  destroy  by  sin  the  souls  of  mankind  ;  and  that  they  have  their 
various  stations  in  the  regions  of  the  air,  all  around  the  earth." 
"  These  are  the  spirits,"  says  John  Wesley,  "  who  continually 
oppose  faith,  love,  and  holiness,  and  labor  to  infuse  unbelief, 
pride,  idolatry,  lusts,  malice,  covetousness,  envy,  anger  and 
hatred,  into  the  minds  of  men." 

That  there  are  many  evil  spirits,  fallen  angels,  or  devils,  rs 
shown  from  all  parts  of  the  New  Testament ;  a  few  of  which 
we  proceed  to  exhibit,  more  than  already  done.     James,  ii.  19 1 


ANGELS  OF  THE  8CRIPTURES.  336 

♦♦'Thou  believest  that  there  is  one  God,  thou  doest  well,  the 
devils  believe  and  tremble."  Now  if  the  Jews  called  the  idols  of 
the  heathen  devils,  as  appears  they  did— see  Dent,  xxxii.  17 — 
2d  Chron.  xi.  15 — and  Psalms,  cvi.  3(5,  37 — yet  by  St.  James,  in 
the  above  text,  we  discover  that  such  devils  as  he  there  speaks 
of,  were  no  idols,  or  images  of  any  description,  but  were  in  reality 
conscious  beings,  having  a  capacity  of  believing,  of  understand- 
ing, and  of  fearing ;  so  much  so,  as  that  they  knew  there  was 
one  God,  and  trembled  on  that  account.  But  why  were  the 
idols  of  the  heathen  called  devils  by  the  Jews  ?  Because,  as 
before  shown,  the  devil  was  the  author  of  that  kind  of  worship, 
whereby  he  governed  and  subverted  the  passions  of  men  the 
more  effectually,  and  prostituted  them  to  the  basest  of  purposes. 
Out  of  this  text  of  St.  James,  arises  one  idea  which  overturns 
one  branch  of  Universalism  at  least,  beyond  all  doubt,  which 
even  themselves  can't  help  perceiving,  blinded  as  they  are  with 
the  sophisms  of  their  belief.  This  idea  is,  that  there  is  a  state 
of  suffering  among  some  supernatural  beings  in  another  world, 
or  in  eternity,  and  consequently  a  hell  beyond  the  grave ;  for 
sufferings  there  can  be  nothing  short  of  a  hell.  If  this  is  not 
so,  why  has  St.  James  said,  that  the  fact  of  the  being  of  a  God, 
causes  beings,  which  he  calls  devils,  to  tremble,  which  is  the 
sign  of  horror  and  distress  ;  for  he  says  the  devils  believe  there 
is  one  God,  and  tremble  on  that  account.  Now  who,  or  what, 
are  those  beings  here  called  devils  ?  They  cannot  have  been 
the  images  or  idols  of  the  heathen,  as  they  were  not  able  to 
believe  or  disbelieve.  They  cannot  have  been  the  diseases  of  the 
bodies  or  minds  of  men,  as  disease  of  any  and  all  descriptions,  are 
incapable  of  believing  or  disbelieving  any  thing.  They  cannot 
have  been  the  carnal  mind,  because  this  no  more  than  the  others, 
is  capable  of  believing,  or  of  being  conscious  of  anything  abstract- 
ed from  the  spirit  or  soul  of  man  ;  as  the  carnal  mind  is  but  a 
quality  of  the  nature  of  a  sinful  being,  but  not  a  being  itself;  on 
which  account  it  could  not  believe  or  disbelive  anything — fear, 
hate,  or  love  anything — and  are  therefore  not  the  beings  of  which 
St.  James  speaks,  called  devils,  ?.s  these  could  believe,  fear  and 
tremble,  because  there  is  a  God  who  was  opposed  in  his  very 
nature  to  their  characters.  They  cannot  have  been  men,  or 
human  beings,  as  human  beings  are  never  called  devils,  in  the 
sacred  writings ;  and  for  another  reason,  St.  James  said  even  to 
the  unbelieving  Jews,  that  they  did  well  in  believing  that  there 
is  one  God,  and  therefore,  that  belief  was  to  them  no  cause  of 
terror  or  of  trembling,  as  it  was  to  the  devils,  or  the  fallen  angels, 
who  have  reason  to  tremble  at  the  idea  of  a  God,  whom  they 
have  caused  to  become  their  enemy,  on  account  of  their  rebellion 
against  his  government.  If  this  is  not  true,  why  do  they  trem- 
ble because  there  is  a  God,  which  to  every  redeemed  being  is  the 
very  climax  of  hope  J     To  this  there  can  be  but  one  answer,  and 


336  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

that  is,  that  they  are  unhappy,  and  not  in  a  condition  of  amity 
with  the  Creator  ;  and  proves,  therefore,  not  only  the  existence 
of  evil  spirits,  but  that  a  state  of  misery  in  eternity,  as  endured 
by  those  beings  called  by  St.  James  "  the  devils"  is  a  truth,  which 
none  but  infidels  and  semi-infidels  will  think  of  denying.  That 
those  beings  called  devils,  who  tremble  at  the  idea  of  a  God,  are 
in  expectation  of  a  heavier  doom  in  some  future  time,  is  shown 
from  a  question  put  by  themselves  to  the  Saviour,  on  a  certain 
occasion — see  Matth.  viii.  28,  29 — where  we  read  the  account 
of  his  visit  to  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes,  among  whom  was 
found  two  men  possessed  with  devils  ;  the  history  of  this  is  as 
follows  :  «  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  other  side  (of  the  lake 
or  bay  of  Genesereth,  a  wide  place  in  the  river  Jordan,)  into  the 
country  of  the  Gadarenes,  there  met  him  two  possessed  with 
devils,  coming  out  of  (or  from  among)  the  tombs,  exceeding 
fierce,  so  that  no  man  might  pass  that  way.  And  behold  they 
cried  out  saying,  what  have  we  to  do  with  thee  Jesus,  thou  Son 
of  God,  art  thou  come  to  torment  us  before  the  time  ?"  Here 
it  appears,  that  the  devils  who  possessed  these  men,  feared  a  cer- 
tain time,  in  which  a  heavier  doom  is  to  be  inflicted  upon  them; 
on  which  account  they  seemed  to  be  greatly  alarmed  on  seeing 
him  whom  they  knew  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and  enquired  how 
it  could  be  that  he  should  come  to  torment  them  before  the  time. 
Mark  and  Luke  relate  the  same  thing,  though  with  various  cir- 
cumstances, not  spoken  of  by  Matthew,  which  we  will  give,  as 
the  accounts  are  very  curious.  Mark,  v.  1,  7:  "And  they  (the 
Saviour  and  his  disciples,)  came  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  sea, 
(or  lake  Genesereth,)  into  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes.  And 
when  he  was  come  out  of  the  ship,  (or  large  sail  boat  with  oars,) 
immediately  there  met  him  out  of  (or  from  among)  the  tombs,  a 
man  with  an  unclean  spirit,  who  had  his  dwelling  among  the 
tombs  ;  and  no  man  could  bind  him,  no,  not  with  chains,  (so  as 
to  hold  him,)  because  that  he  had  been  often  bound,  (in  his  more 
lucid  moments,)  with  fetters  and  chains,  and  the  chains  had 
been  plucked  asunder  by  him,  and  the  fetters  broken  in  pieces ; 
neither  could  any  man  tame  him.  And  always,  night  and  day, 
he  was  in  the  mountains  and  tombs,  crying  and  cutting  himself 
with  stones.  But  when  he  saw  Jesus  afar  off,  he  ran  and  icor- 
shipped  him,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and  said,  what  have 
we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  the  most  high  God  ?  I 
adjure  thee  by  God,  that  thou  torment  me  not."'  Here  the  same 
idea,  that  of  being  tormented  at  a  certain  time,  is  alluded  to  by 
the  spirit  who  then  spoke  by  the  lips  of  the  man,  and  was  one  of 
the  number  who  possessed  him,  which  was  to  be  inflicted  by 
the  Son  of  God  ;  this  is  strange  enough,  if  there  are  no  devils. 

The  same  account  is  given  by  St.  Luke,  viii.  26,  33,  inclusive, 
as  follows:  "And  they  arrived  at  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes, 
which  is  over  against  Galilee.     And  when  he  went  forth  to  laud, 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  337 

there  met  him  a  certain  man  who  had  devils  (a)  long  time,  and 
ware  no  clothes,  neither  abode  in  any  house,  but  in  the  tombs. 
When  he  saw  Jesns,  he  cried  out,  and  fell  down  before  him,  and 
with  a  loud  voice  said,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou 
Son  of  God  most  high  ?  I  beseech  thee  torment  me  not.  For 
he  had  commanded  the  unclean  spirit  to  come  out  of  the  man. 
For  oftentimes  it  had  caught  him,  and  he  was  kept  bound  with 
chains  and  in  fetters  ;  and  he  brake  the  bands,  and  was  driven  of 
the  devil  into  the  wilderness.  And  Jesus  asked  him,  what  is 
thy  name  ?  And  he  said,  Legion,  because  may  devils  were 
entered  into  him,  (or  many  carnal  minds,  according  to  Univer- 
salists.)  And  they  besought  him  that  he  would  not  command 
them  to  go  out  into  the  deep."  Here  also,  allusion  is  made  to  a 
power  the  Son  of  God  had,  and  to  a  time  when  it  was  to  be  ex- 
erted in  their  further  damnation  in  a  state  of  suffering.  "  And 
there  was  there  an  herd  of  many  swine,  feeding  on  the  mountain : 
and  they  besought  him  that  he  would  suffer  them  to  enter  into 
them.  And  he  suffered  them.  Then  went  the  devils  out  of 
the  ?nan,  (that  is,  many  carnal  minds  went  out  of  him,)  and 
entered  into  the  swine  :  and  the  herd  ran  violently  down  a  steep 
place  into  the  lake,  and  were  choked."  But  as  St.  Matthew  re- 
lates the  account,  it  is  seen  that  those  evil  spirits  enquired  of 
Christ,  whether  he  had  come  to  torment  them  before  the  time. 
Now  what  time  is  this  to  which  the  spirits  here  referred,  and 
seemed  so  much  to  dread?  St.  Peter  gives  the  answer — 2d 
Peter,  ii.  4:  "  For  if  God  spaced  not  the  angels  that  sinned,  but 
cast  them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them  into  chains  of  dark- 
ness to  be  reserved  unto  judgment,"  it  follows,  therefore,  that 
the  time  of  judgment  here  alluded  to  by  those  spirits,  who  pos- 
sessed the  men  among  the  tombs,  and  the  time  here  spoken  of 
by  St.  Peter,  is  to  take  place  at  the  end  of  time.  At  which  time 
it  is  declared,  that  the  same  earth  which  perished  in  the  waters 
of  the  flood  of  Noah,  are  now  kept  in  store,  and  reserved  to  be 
burnt  up  with  all  the  works  of  men,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  and 
perdition  of  ungodly  men  ;  which  of  necessity  must  be  an  entire 
different  affair  from  that  of  the  destruction  of  the  nation  and  city 
of  the  Jews,  unless  it  can  be  shown  that  the  Jews,  their  city, 
their  government,  and  their  religion,  all  existed  before  the  flood 
of  Noah,  and  were  destroyed  in  the  waters  of  that  flood,  yet  are 
reserved  to  be  destroyed  again  by  the  Romans,  and  was  so  des- 
troyed, according  to  the  Universalists ;  St.  Peter,  with  all  the 
New  Testament  writers,  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  To 
us,  therefore,  the  time  to  which  the  devils,  in  the  case  of  the  men 
among  the  tombs,  alluded,  when  they  said  to  the  Saviour,  we 
adjure  thee  by  the  ever-living  God,  not  to  torment  us  before  the 
time,  is  the  time  of  the  last  day,  the  general  and  particular  judg- 
ment of  every  creature  of  the  human  race.  By  this,  we  also 
discover  a  state  of  punishment  in  another  world,  which  was  in 


338 


HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 


operation  even  in  the  Saviour's  time,  as  shown  from  the  terror 
felt  by  the  devils  at  the  idea  of  a  God,  and  from  their  allusion  to 
a  time  when  they  expect  the  Son  of  God  will  still  more  severely 
punish  them,  and  to  such  spirits  is  a  never  ending  source  of  dread 
and  horror,  as  appears  from  the  above. 

But  to  all  the  foregoing  evidence  of  the  existence  of  Satan,  and 
of  the  being  of  devils,  Universalists  turn  a  deaf  ear,  and  endeavor 
to  interpret  all  that  is  said  on  the  subject  of  the  demoniacs  of  St. 
Luke,  and  elsewhere  in  the  Bible,  of  the  diseases  of  the  bodies 
and  the  minds  of  men.     They  say  that  all  the  devils  which 
were  cast  out  of  the  people  by  Jesus  Christ,  or  by  his  disciples, 
were  of  the  same  description  :  carnal  mindedness,  bodily  disease, 
cripples  made  whole,  infirmities  removed,  madness  and  derange- 
ments of  mind  subverted,  &c.     But  if  this  is  so,  and  the  Scrip- 
tures on  this  subject  will  bear  no  other  interpretation,  then  are 
we  presented  in  the  very  outset  of  Christianity,  with  a  mummery, 
equal,  if  not  surpassing  that  of  the  Indian  doctors,  or  Esquimaux 
conjurers ;  who,  in  order  to  cure  diseases,  feign  to  converse 
with  them,  as  if  they  were  reasonable  beings,  and  to  drive  them 
away  by  threats,  or  by  promises,  and  by  their  great  power  and 
wisdom  ;  for  it  seems  that  the  sickness  or  madness  called  devils, 
knowing  the  power  of  Christ,  said,  "if  thou  cast  us  out,  suffer 
us  to  go  away  into  the  swine  :  and  he  said  unto  them  go."     Now, 
if  those  evil  spirits  which  had  possessed  the  men  of  the  tombs, 
were  nothing  but  diseases  natural  to  the  human  race,  whether 
of  body  or  mind,  then  we  find,  that  in  those  days  diseases  could 
speak,  could  pray,  could  reason,  and  act  in  many  respects,  just 
like  other  thinking  beings  ;  this,  therefore,  greatly  surpasses  the 
Esquimaux  conjurers;  as  we  do  not  learn  from  travellers  that 
these  northern  doctors  ever  get  any  replies  from  diseases,  but 
merely  cause  them  very  modestly  and  silently  to  make  off  with 
themselves,  except  a  groan  or  so  uttered  in  their  name  by  the 
operator,  as  they  are  departing.     If  we  are  to  believe  with  Uni- 
versalists, that  in  those  two  cases  there  was  no  spiritual  super- 
natural possession,  we  are  compelled  to  believe  a  thing  much  har- 
der to  believe  than  that  of  Satanic  possession  ;  which  is,  that  the 
diseases  of  those  men,  had  become  discontented  with  their  habi- 
tation of  human  flesh,  and  chose,  fceing  a  little  romantic,  to  take 
a  leap  into  the  lake,  in  the  bodies  of  some  two  thousand  swine  ; 
for  we  see  they  besought  the  Saviour's  permission,  if  cast  out,  to 
enter  the  swine,  and  to  descend  into  the  sea. 

However,  it  is  no  more  than  fair,  that  we  should  state  that 
some  learned  men  of  the  Universalist  school  have  contended  that 
those  demoniacs  of  Gadara,  were,  upon  the  whole,  a  couple  of 
outrageous  madmen  ;  and  instead  of  anything  that  had  been  in 
those  men,  and  was  cast  out  of  them,  as  the  account  states,  that 
they,  of  their  own  accord,  took  a  furious  delight  in  running  after 
the  hogs  on  the  mountains,  and  finally  drove  them  into  the  sea. 


ANGEL8  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  339 

Who  but  such  men  as  would  wish  to  bring  the  Scriptures  into 
disrepute,  and  cause  them  to  be  loathed  by  every  discerning:  per- 
son, would  hit  upon  such  methods  of  interpretation  as  above 
noticed;  and  would  give  to  diseases  the  ability  of  speaking 
Greek,  as  that  was  the  language  they  spoke  in,  if  they  spoke  at 
all,  rather  than  allow  the  existence  of  supernatural  beings  called 
fallen  angels,  evil  spirits,  and  devils,  as  the  Scriptures  call  them, 
and  to  admit  of  their  influence  in  any  way  among  men  ;  because 
such  an  admission  would  sap  the  foundation  of  the  no  hell,  no 
devil,  and  no  future  judgment,  sects  of  the  day.  But  after  all, 
though  we  were  even  to  admit,  that  the  men  of  the  tombs  were 
not  possessed  with  devils,  as  commonly  believed,  yet  we  do  not 
perceive  how  we  should  go  to  work  to  make  out  that  they  were 
either  sick  in  body  or  deranged  in  mind,  except  by  Satanic  influ- 
ence ;  because  all  disorders,  either  of  body  or  mind,  are  debili- 
tating, and  soon  prostrate  the  subject,  so  as  to  make  it  impossible 
to  be  capable  of  violent  action,  except  by  paroxisms  of  short 
duration.  But  these  men  had  their  very  dwellings  among  the 
tombs,  and  in  the  mountains,  instead  of  a  sick  chamber,  or  under 
the  care  of  nurses,  and  went  naked  in  the  open  air,  by  night  and 
by  day,  in  all  weathers,  and  had  done  so  for  a  long  time  ;  and 
yet  their  strength  was  not  exhausted,  their  activity  not  impaired, 
as  they  had  become  the  terror  of  all  the  country  round.  Were 
there  no  other  evidence  of  their  having  been  possessed  with 
devils,  than  the  bare  fact  of  their  dwelling  naked  in  the  open 
tombs  night  and  day,  in  all  weathers,  for  a  long  time,  and  yet 
continuing  strong  and  powerful,  it  were  enough,  and  would  be 
so  esteemed,  even  now,  were  such  a  thing  to  happen.  Chains 
and  fetters  of  brass  and  iron,  were  as  nothing  in  their  hands 
when  bound,  as  they  could  pluck  them  asunder  at  their  plea- 
sure. Could  this  have  been  done  by  the  sick  ?  was  there  ever 
a  case  of  such  perternatural  strength,  proceeding  purely  from  a 
nervous  or  mental  disease  ?  If  it  be  said  that  the  case  was  a  pure 
madness,  insanity,  or  distraction  of  mind  ;  yet  distraction  of  mind 
however  it  may  string  up  the  nerves  for  a  short  time,  cannot 
sustain  the  energy  but  a  little  while,  when  universal  prostration 
ensues,  with  death  to  close  the  scence.  But  these  men  could 
run,  leap,  and  shout  amon£  the  hills,  and  cut  themselves,  pouring 
out  their  blood,  without  signs  of  weakness,  could  snap  asunder 
the  strongest  fetters,  could  terrify  the  whole  country  with  their 
uproar,  and  set  at  defiance  the  energy,  the  strength,  and  the 
prudence,  of  the  neighborhood  of  their  resort ;  surely  no  sick- 
ness of  any  description  can  do  this,  in  any  period  of  the  world. 

But  still  more  singular  is  the  fact,  than  even  the  perternatural 
strength  of  these  men  of  the  tombs,  that  they  should  kn mo  far 
more  than  all  the  people  of  that  place,  who  hnd  the  right  use  of 
their  minds  ;  which  appears,  from  their  immediate  knowledge  of 
the  person  of  the  Son  of  God,  while  every  body  else  among  the 


34.0  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Gadarenes  knew  nothing  of  him,  as  he  had  never  been  in  that 
place  before,  and  was  therefore  a  stranger  among  them.  Yet 
these  men  knew  him,  even  at  a  great  distance,  and  distinguished 
him  from  all  other  men,  who  were  with  and  about  him,  and  ran 
with  all  their  might,  or  with  great  swiftness,  to  meet  him,  and 
fell  down  at  his  feet,  and  without  any  means  by  which  they 
could  have  come  at  a  knowledge  of  his  name  and  character, 
called  him  "  Jesus,  So?i  of  the  most  high  God  ;"  acknowledging 
his  true  character,  of  which  even  his  own  disciples,  at  that  time, 
knew  scarcely  anything.  Surely  that  was  a  strange  sickness, 
derangement,  carnal  mind,  disorder,  or  whatever  it  may  be 
named  of  this  character,  by  Universalists,  or  others  of  the  same 
school,  which  could  so  imbue  them  with  superhuman  perception 
respecting  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  which  all  men  in  their 
right  minds  were  so  slow  to  acknowledge.  Was  it  the  madness 
of  these  men  which  knew  the  Saviour  at  so  great  a  distance  ? 
Was  it  their  disease  which  caused  them  to  cry  out  in  a  loud 
voice,  Jesus,  thou  Son  of  God  ?  Was  it  their  insanity  and 
carnal  mindedness,  which  made  them  fall  down  at  his  feet  and 
worship  him?  Was  it  their  malady  which  enquired  of  the 
Saviour  if  he  had  come  to  torment  them  before  their  time  ;  and 
also  adjured  him  by  the  living  God  not  to  do  it  7  Who  ever  heard 
of  a  disease  requesting  not  to  be  tormented,  or  not  to  be  sent 
away  out  of  the  country,  or  into  the  deep  ?  Who  ever  heard  of 
a  sickness  that  offered,  and  actually  performed  worship  ?  Who 
ever  heard  of  a  disease  that  could  tell  its  own  name,  as  did  theirs 
when  questioned  respecting  it  by  the  Saviour,  and  immediately 
responded  that  its  name  was  Legion,  because  we  are  many? 

But  this  subject  is  settled  by  the  Saviour,  when  he  came  to 
cast  out  the  cause  of  their  strange  behaviour,  when  he  said, 
"  come  out  of  the  man  thou  unclean  spirit"  commanding  one 
for  all.  By  this  we  find  they  were  not  sick,  were  not  afflicted 
by  any  natural  disorder,  of  body  or  of  mind,  but  by  supernatu- 
ral beings,  such  as  could  think,  could  fear,  could  pray,  and  beg 
not  to  be  tormented  before  the  time,  not  to  be  sent  out  of  the 
country,  but  rather  into  a  herd  of  swine,  which  were  feeding 
nigh  ;  evincing  powers  and  attributes  which  belong  to  no  class 
of  disorders,  whether  of  a  physical  or  mental  character,  incident 
to  mortals.  That  these  men  were  affected,  not  by  any  natural 
disorder  of  the  body  or  the  mind,  is  evident  also,  from  what  the 
people  did  and  said,  who  had  witnessed  the  whole  transaction, 
which  is  as  follows :  "  And  they  that  fed  the  swine  fled,  and  told 
it  in  the  city,  and  in  the  country ;  and  they  went  out  to  see  what 
was  done  ;  and  they  came  to  Jesus,  and  see  him  that  was  pos- 
sessed with  the  devil,  and  had  the  legion,  sitting  and  clothed, 
and  in  his  right  mind."  What,  therefore,  is  the  public  to  think 
of  such  men,  as  assume  to  doctrinise  on  theology,  professing  to 
believe  the  Bible,  and  at  the  same  time  teach  the  people  that 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  341 

there  are  no  devils,  no  Satan,  no  evil  spirits,  or  fallen  angels? 
As  well,  and  with  equal  propriety,  might  they  undertake  to  cause 
it  to  be  believed  that  there  were  no  such  people  as  the  Gadarenes, 
no  such  men  as  are  said  to  have  been  possessed  by  devils  at 
Gadara,  among  the  tombs  ;  or  that  such  a  person  as  Jesus  Christ 
ever  existed,  and  went  over  the  lake  Genesereth  with  his  disci- 
ples in  a  boat,  or  ship,  on  that  occasion,  as  to  feign  to  maintain 
that  the  Scriptures  say  nothing  about  a  superhuman  Satan, 
devils,  and  evil  spirits,  merely  because  they  never  saw  any  such 
beings. 

But  Universal ists  have  another  comment  on  this  subject,  still 
more  ridiculous  and  anti-scriptural  than  the  idea  of  those  men 
having  been  merely  madmen.  The  heathen  nations  say  they, 
surrounding  the  Jews  in  ancient  times,  had  by  some  means  im- 
bibed a  multitude  of  superstitious  and  religious  absurdities ; 
among  which,  and  as  chief,  and  the  deepest  rooted,  was  a  belief 
in  the  existence  of  evil  spirits,  to  whom  as  to  real  beings,  they 
offered  religious  sacrifices  ;  the  dread  of  whom  had  gained  a 
fearful  ascendancy  over  their  feelings  and  manners,  so  far  as  even 
to  induce  the  shedding  the  blood,  and  the  offering  in  sacrifice, 
human  beings,  men,  women  and  children,  to  these  infernal  dei- 
ties, as  they  esteemed  them.  From  those  nations,  the  Jews  in 
very  early  times,  imbibed  the  belief  of  the  existence  of  devils, 
demons,  and  evil  spirits  ;  which  belief  was  in  full  force  in  the 
time  of  Jesus  Christ ;  so  much  so,  that  they  imagined  many  per- 
sons among  them  to  be  possessed  by  one  or  more  such  evil  spirits. 
On  which  account,  when  many  of  the  Jews,  who  heard  the 
preaching,  and  saw  the  miracles  of  the  Saviour,  forthwith  car- 
ried from  all  quarters,  such  persons  as  they  supposed  to  be  thus 
possessed,  to  be  healed.  But  suppose  all  this  was  not  true,  as  im- 
agined by  Univesalists,  did  the  Saviour  sanction  that  belief,  or 
supposition  ?  He  did  sanction  it ;  and  proves,  therefore,  that  the 
belief  was  not  derived  from  the  old  heathen  superstitions,  but 
from  the  Scriptures.  But  how  do  we  show  the  Saviour  sanc- 
tioned that  belief?  We  show  it  by  his  treatment  of  the  subject ; 
for  when  any  one  who  was  supposed  to  be  possessed  with  a  devil, 
was  brought  to  him  to  be  cured,  he  straightway  cast  it  out ;  and 
in  no  such  cvsj  can  it  be  shown  that  he  said  to  the  people,  this 
is  no  Satanic  possession,  as  you  imagine  it  to  be,  because  there 
is  no  Satan,  there  are  no  such  beings  as  devils,  no  evil  spirits  of 
any  kind,  except  you  "selves,  these,  therefore,  are  not  possessed 
by  any  foreign  agent.  This  opinion  of  yours,  about  evil  beings 
of  a  supernatural  character,  is  but  a  pagan  delusion  ;  flee  from 
it,  renounce  it  as  false  and  injurious,  and  believe  that  such  per- 
sons are  only  sick  or  deranged,  or  something  of  that  sort,  and  I 
will  heal  them.  Did  he  treat  the  subject  thus  ?  No,  he  did  not; 
even  Universalists  will  not  pretend  it ;  but  did  the  exact  contrary, 
and  seconded  the  belief,  in  casting  them  out,  and  treating  the 


342  HISTORY  OP  THE  FALLEN 

matter  as  a  sober  and  lamentable  fact ;  which,  if  it  were  not  so. 
was  hypocrisy  even  in  him  who  knew  no  sin.  But  Universal- 
ists  imagine  that  the  Saviour  thought  it  best  not  to  contradict 
this  delusion  of  the  Jews,  on  account  of  its  strength  and  inveter- 
acy, and  therefore  left  them  in  their  error,  as  it  had  became  a 
national  one,  and  even  a  branch  of  their  religion,  too  deep  rooted 
and  too  strong  to  be  eradicated.  But  what  is  the  consequence 
to  the  Saviour's  character,  arising  out  of  such  a  view  of  the  sub- 
ject ?  Why,  that  he  was  a  sycophant,  and  dare  not  oppose  this 
popular  error,  concluding  it  best  to  connive  at  it ;  and  more  than 
this,  took  occasion  by  it  to  rise  into  great  repute  and  fame,  treating 
it  as  a  fact,  casting  them  out,  and  sending  them  away,  with 
charges  never  to  return.  For  this  very  reason,  his  fame  spread 
all  abroad ;  while  the  truth  was,  if  we  are  to  believe  Universal- 
ists,  he  only  healed  their  natural  maladies,  while  he  allowed 
them  to  believe  that  he  actually  cast  supernatural  devils  out  of 
them. 

This  is  a  most  glorious  light  to  exhibit  the  Son  of  God  in : 
what  more  can  a  man  wish,  who  desires  to  make  out  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  an  imposter,  than  to  get  this  kind  of  compromising 
attached  to  his  character  ?  And  yet,  these  are  the  men  who 
teach  in  his  name,  as  they  say — spreading  out  their  hands,  and 
lifting  up  their  unblushing  faces  toward  the  heavens,  as  if  they 
wished  men  to  credit  their  sincerity,  in  a  belief  of  Christianity, 
and  its  Author.  Why  not  profess  Deism  at  once,  and  be  honest, 
and  not  slide  into  a  kind  of  credit,  under  the  mantle  and  profes- 
sion of  Christianity,  because  it  is,  and  is  likely  to  be  a  popular 
cause,  while  the  world  endures? 

In  Matth.  x.  16,  is  found  a  remark  of  the  Saviour  to  his  disci- 
ples, which  to  us,  is  no  small  proof  of  the  existence  of  evil  spirits, 
or  devils,  which  is :  "  Be  ye  therefore  wise  as  serpents,  and 
harmless  as  doves."  Now  did  he  mean,  that  he  wished  his  disci- 
ples to  have  no  more  wisdom  than  a  common  snake,  or  an 
Orang-outang?  This  cannot  have  been.  What  then  did  he 
mean,  by  the  word  serpents  ?  He  meant,  as  we  believe,  the 
fallen  angels  who  had  become  devils,  and  are  said  in  many  parts 
of  the  New  Testament,  to  be  exceedingly  wise  and  crafty  in  ways 
of  wickedness,  so  much,  that  St.  Paul,  in  one  place — namely, 
Eph.  vi.  11 — says,  "Put  on  the  whole  armour  of  God,  that  ye 
may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil."  But  if  he 
meant  by  the  word  serpents,  nothing  more  than  the  wicked  Jews, 
what  then  did  he  mean  by  the  word  doves  ?  For  if  in  this  case, 
one  kind  of  animal  meant  the  Jews — namely,  serpents — why  not 
the  other,  the  Gentiles  ?— as  there  were  no  other  people  on  the 
earth  but  Jew  and  Gentile.  But  if  the  word  serpent  is  under- 
stood as  equivalent  to  that  of  devil,  or  evil  spirits,  and  the  word 
devil  is  understood  as  meaning  a  disease  of  some  kind,  then  the 
Saviour  meant  the  disciples  should  understand  him  to  admonish 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


345 


them  to  be  as  wise  as  a  sickness,  or  bodily  infirmities, — a  mad- 
ness, or  peradventure  an  allegory. 

We  know  of  no  case  in  the  New  Testament,  where  a  subject 
was  brought  to  the  Saviour  to  be  healed  of  bodily  infirmities,  but 
are  distinctly  named,  so  as  to  leave  no  doubt  on  the  reader's  mind. 
If  it  was  a  palsy,  or  blindness,  a  deafness,  a  lameness,  a  fever, 
or  any  other  natural  disorder  which  was  so  named  ;  or  if  it  was 
a  supernatural  affliction,  the  same  is  plainly  stated,  always 
making  the  proper  distinction  between  such  as  were  brought  to 
have  a  devil  cast  out,  or  to  have  a  bodily  disease  removed.  To 
this  fact  St.  Matthew  viii.  16,  bears  testimony  :  "and  he  (Christ) 
cast  out  the  spirits  with  his  word,  and  healed  all  that  were  sick  ;" 
which  marks  the  distinction,  as  plainly  as  if  intended  by  inspi- 
ration originally,  to  aid  in  the  refutation  of  Universalis. 

What  sickness  is  that,  which  in  ancient  or  in  modern  times, 
has  been  called  a  devil — whether  mental,  or  physical?  What 
lameness,  sickness,  blindness,  deafness,  fever,  palsy,  or  madness, 
is  called  an  evil  spirit  7  None,  that  we  have  as  yet,  heard  o£ 
But  suppose — merely  for  supposition's  sake,  that  the  term  devils, 
did  mean  disorders  in  general,  to  which  the  body  and  soul  of  man 
is  subject ;  we  enquire,  therefore,  how  is  it  that  they  are  spoken 
of  in  the  masculine  gender  and  singular  number,  as  they  always 
are  in  the  New  Testament  ?  A  disease  in  no  age  or  country, 
can  be  spoken  of  thus  ;  as  it  is  improper  to  speak  of  maladies,  as 
being  male  or  female,  in  any  language.  But  we  find  that  Sa- 
tan, and  devils  are  always  spoken  of  in  the  singular  number  and 
masculine  gender  ;  which  to  prove,  we  will  give  one  passage  out 
of  many,  as  follows ,  "  And  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided 
against  himself,  how  then  shall  his  kingdom  stand."  Matthew, 
xii.  26. 

Satan,  or  Bslzebub,  was  called  the  prince  of  the  devils  by  the 
Jews ;  who  said  that  Christ  cast  out  devils  by  this  prince.  Now 
if  by  the  term  devils,  diseases  were  sometimes  meant,  it  follows 
that  some  disease,  among  the  catalogue  of  human  maladies, 
stands  as  prince  over  the  rest ;  and  was  in  those  times  known  by 
the  name  Belzebub,  and  had  a  kingdom  over  which  he  ruled, 
and  by  which  the  Jews  said  the  Saviour  cast  out  other  diseases, 
or  devils.  But  what  disease  was  it  which  had  such  a  pre-emi- 
nence ?  Perhaps  some  no  devil-believer  can  tell  us  ;  so  that  due 
honors  may  be  paid  by  the  other  diseases  of  mortal  flesh,  to  so 
great  a  potentate. 

The  following  is  another  remarkable  proof  of  the  existence  of 
devils:  "And  there  was  in  the  Synagogue  (at  Capernaum,)  a 
man  with  an  unclean  spirit,  and  he  cried  out,  (the  spirit  cried 
out  with  the  man's  voice)  saying,  let  us  alone,  what  have  we  to 
do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth  :  art  thou  come  to  destroy 
us  ?  I  know  thee  who  thou  art, — the  holy  one  of  Cod."  What 
did  this  spirit  mean  by  saying,  "I know  thee  who  thou  art  ?n 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

Did  he  not  mean  that  he  had  known  him  before  he  came  into  the 
world,  at  the  time  when  the  sinning  angels  were  cast  down  to 
hell,  or  thitherward  ? — as  that  same  spirit  was  one  of  them  who 
kept  not  his  first  estate  in  heaven.  It  cannot  be  supposed  that 
the  poor  wretched  man  had  some  time  before  that,  been  acquain- 
ted with  the  Saviour,  and  now  claimed  that  acquaintance.  This 
is  impossible,  from  the  condition  he  was  in,  on  account  of  the 
possession  the  devil  had  of  him ;  and  besides  that,  it  was  not 
the  man's  mind  which  dictated  that  asservation,  and  claimed 
that  knowledge  of  the  being  of  Christ,  because  the  man  could 
not  know  that  he  was  the  holy  one  of  God.  It  appears  also  from 
another  view  of  the  subject,  that  it  was  not  the  man's  mind 
which  dictated  the  words  which  his  mouth  was  made  to  utter, 
on  that  occasion,  from  the  fact  of  his  saying — "  what  have  we  to 
do  with  thee  ?  Art  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?"  &c.  which  are 
both  in  the  'plural  number,  and  cannot  therefore,  apply  to  the 
man,  as  he  was  but  one  single  individual,  and  occupied  only 
the  singular  number.  "  But  Jesus  rebuked  him,  (the  unclean 
spirit)  saying,  hold  thy  peace  and  come  out  of  him  (the  man.) 
And  when  the  unclean  spirit  had  torn  him,  (the  man)  and  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  he  came  out  of  him?  We  wish  here  to 
request  the  reader,  to  observe  critically  two  words  in  the  last  line 
of  the  above  quotations,  namely,  he  and  him,  as  here  are  two 
distinct  beings  alluded  to  by  those  two  words.  The  evil  spirit  is 
distinguished  by  the  word  he,  and  the  man  by  the  word  him, 
who  were  separated  by  the  authority  of  Christ.  Does  not  this 
prove  that  Satanic  possession  was  a  truth,  and  that  Christ  and 
the  Jews  both  bear  testimony  to  the  fact  ?  Yet  Universalists 
ridicule  and  deny  this  truth,  for  no  other  reason,  than  because 
they  ivill;  having  entered  the  list  they  feel  interested  to  defend 
it,  whatever  the  consequence  may  be. 

But  what  followed  on  the  healing  of  this  man  ?  Why,  they 
(who  beheld  it)  were  all  amazed,  inasmuch  that  they  questioned 
among  themselves,  saying,  What  thing  is  this  ?  What  new  doc- 
trine is  this?  For  with  authority  commandeth  he  even  the 
unclean  spirits,  and  they  do  obey  him.  And  immediately  his 
fame  spread  abroad  through  all  that  region  round  about  Galilee." 
Now  here  it  is  plain,  that  on  the  very  account  of  the  Saviour's 
power  to  cast  out  and  separate  devils  from  the  persons  they  had 
possession  of,  that  his  fame  was  greatly  enhanced  ;  but  if  there 
was  no  truth  in  the  thing  itself,  then  was  the  Saviour  any  thing 
except  that  which  he  pretended  to  be. 

But  he  had  scarcely  gone  out  of  the  Synagogue  from  casting 
out  the  devil  from  that  man,  when  he  went  into  the  house  of  one 
Simon,  whose  wife's  mother  lay  sick  of  a  fever — but  not  of  a 
devil,  as  the  sickness  is  called  a  fever.  "And  he  (Jesus)  came 
and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  lifted  her  up,  and  immediately  the 
fever  (not  the  devil)  left  her."     "And  at  even,  when  the  sun 


ANGB&S  OF  TI1L  SC&tffTUftBft.  345 

did  set,  they  brought  unto  him  (in  the  cool  of  the  evening,)  all 
that  were  diseased^  (or  were  sick)  and  them  that  were  possessed 
with  devils,  and  all  the  city  was  gathered  t<  at  the  door. 

And  he  healed  many  that  were  sick  with  divei  \  and  cast 

out  many  devils"  ISnt  stranger  than  ail  the  rest,  on  the  suppo- 
sition that  there  is  no  devil.  red  not  the  devils  to  speak. 
Now,  was  it  diseases  which  he  suffered  not  to  speak,  and  was  it 
the  diseases  which  arc  here  said  to  have  known  him,  and  to 
have  been  acquainted  with  his  true  character?  Impossible, 
impossible,  utterly  impossible.  In  St.  Mark  iii.  11,  12,  it  is  said 
"And  the  unclean  spirits,  when  they  saw  him-,  fell  down  before 
him,  and  cried  out  saying,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  And  he 
straightway  charged  them  that  they  should  not  make  him  known. 
Certainly  these  were  beings  of  a  spiritual  character,  as  it  is  said 
of  them  in  this  place  that  they  could  see,  could  fall  down  at  the 
feet  of  the  Saviour,  and  could  cry  out,  saying,  this  is  the  Son  of 
God,  &c.  If  all  this  was  nothing  but  diseases,  the  bad  passions 
of  the  mind,  and  the  like,  it  is  exceedingly  strange  that  they 
should  know  the  Messiah  much  more  readily  than  did  the  peo- 
ple themselves.  This  was  truly  very  wonderful ;  was  it  not  ? 
There  is  in  the  9th  chapter  of  St.  Mark,  an  account  which  al- 
so establishes  the  doctrine  of  Satanic  possession,  as  well  also 
as  of  Satanic  existence.  It  appears  from  that  account  that  while 
the  Saviour,  with  three  of  his  disciples,  were  gone  to  the  mount 
where  he  was  transfigured,  that  there  came  a  certain  man  to  the 
company  of  the  residue  of  the  disciples,  with  a  young  lad,  his 
son,  which  he  said  had  a  dumb  spirit.  This  the  disciples  es- 
sayed  to  cast  out,  but  could  not.  On  which  account,  there  had 
gathered  a  multitude  about  them,  &c.  At  the  very  time  the 
Saviour  returned,  while  the  people  were  in  earnest  conversation 
with  the  disciples,  and  inquired  of  them  what  it  was  they  were 
conversing  about  so  earnestly.  When  one  among  the  multi- 
tude, who  it  appears  had  good  reasons  to  be  more  interested  than 
any  of  the  rest,  "Answered  and  said,  Master,  I  have  brought  un- 
to thee  my  son,  which  hath  a  dumb  spirit ;  and  wheresoever  he 
taketh  him,  he  teareth  him  ;  and  he  foameth  at  the  mouth,  and 
gnasheth  with  his  teeth,  and  pineth  away :  and  I  spoke  to  thy 
disciples  that  they  should  cast  him  out,  and  they  could  not." 
The  Saviour  now  said,  Bring  him  to  me,  and  they  brought  tho 
child  to  Jesus.  "  Straightway  the  spirit  tore  him,  and  he  fell  on 
tho  ground  and  wallowed,  foaming.  And  he  (the  Saviour)  ask- 
ed his  (the  lad's)  father,  how  long  is  it  ago  since  this  came  unto 
him  ?  And  he  said  of  a  child  ;  and  oftimes  it  hath  cast  him  into 
the  lire,  and  into  the  water,  to  destroy  him;  but  if  thou  canst  do 
anything,  have  compassion  or.  us,  and  help  us."  Now  was  the 
time  for  the  Saviour  to  have  informed  this  man  and  the  multi- 
tude, that  the  lad  was  r  of  an  evil  spirit,  if  it  were 
not  so.  and  to  have  shown  them  that  his  dumbness  pror 

24 


340  UHKFORY  Otf  ailE  S/A&LE^ 

entirely  from  some  organic  imperfection  in  his  head,  and  was 
by  no  means  a  supernatural  affection,  as  they  seemed  to  ima- 
gine ;  but  this  he  did  not  do.  During  his  conversation,  name- 
ly, with  the  child's  father,  the  people  came  running  from  alt 
quarters,  to  see  what  was  doing,  and  found  as  they  came  a  lad 
lying  on  the  ground,  in  great  agony,  distorted  with  the  most  re- 
volting convulsions,  foaming  at  the  mouth,  and  gnashing  his 
teeth,  but  in  perfect  silence,  as  no  sound  escaped  his  lips,  because 
he  was  dumb.  But  his  father,  whose  eyes  had  not  wandered 
from  the  face  of  his  child,  the  object  of  his  yearning  heart,  ex- 
cept in  now  and  then  a  glance  of  his  eye  to  the  Saviour's  coun- 
tenance, to  see  if  he  was  about  to  do  anything  for  his  poor  son  ; 
but  so  great  was  the  strength  of  his  sympathy,  that  he  could  not 
contain  himself  any  longer,  but  cried  out  suddenly  with  a  loud 
voice,  "  Lord  1  believe  (thou  canst  help  him)  help  thou  mine  un- 
belief." 

Now  when  Jesus  saw  that  the  people  came  running  together, 
he  rebuked  the  foul  spirit,  saying  unto  him,  thou  dumb  and 
and  deaf  spirit,  I  charge  thee  to  come  out  of  him,  and  to  enter 
no  more  into  him.  And  the  spirit  cried,  and  rent  him  sore, 
and  came  out  of  him  ;  and  he  (the  lad)  was  as  one  dead,  inso- 
much that  many  said  he  is  dead ;  but  Jesus  took  him  by  the 
hand,  and  lifted  him  up,  and  he  arose."  (See  the  plate,  which 
shows  the  Saviour,  the  multitude,  and  the  child  lying  as  dead, 
with  the  evil  spirit  in  the  form  of  a  human  being,  just  passing 
away  with  terror,  and  the  father  looking  on,  as  the  Saviour  has 
hold  of  the  boy's  hands. 

What  a  pity  a  Balfour,  a  Ballou,  or  some  sharp-sighted  Uni- 
versalist  preacher,  had  not  been  on  the  spot,  to  have  told  the 
Son  of  God  just  how  it  was ;  and  that  he  might  depend  upon  it 
there  was  no  evil  spirit  that  troubled  the  child,  as  that  he  could 
not  see  any  ;  and  no  doubt  it  is  a  natural  deafness  and  dumb- 
ness, which  always  accompany  each  other  ;  and  perhaps  to  cut 
the  string  of  his  tongue,  and  pour  a  drop  or  two  of  rattlesnake's 
grease  in  his  ear,  might  be  of  essential  service  to  the  child,  as  he 
had  known  this  kind  of  treatment  to  be  very  successful  indeed. 
Had  this  been  the  case,  it  is  quite  likely  he  would  have  received 
a  rebuke,  such  as  St.  Paul  bestowed  on  the  ears  of  one  Elymas, 
a  sorcerer,  saying,  "  O  thou,  full  of  all  subtilty  and  all  mischief, 
the  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  wilt 
thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the  right  ways  of  tho  Lord  ?"  Acts, 
xiii.  10. 

On  this  subject,  the  curing  of  this  lad,  we  give  tho  remarks 
of  Adam  Clarke,  who  says,  "  Considerable  emphasis  should  be 
laid  on  tho  words,  Hhou  didst  resist  the  command  of  my  disci- 
ples, now  1  command  thee  to  come  out.'  If  this  had  been  only  a 
natural  disease,  for  instance  the  epilepsy,  aa  some  have  argued, 


*a'OEVfli>i?  tun  erjmp'ruruss.  3#J 

cow/4  our  Lord  havo  addressed  it  with  any  propriety,  as  he  has 
done  here,  in  saying,  '  thou  dumb  and  deaf  spirit  eomo  out  of 
him,  and  enter  no  more  into  him.' 

Is  the  doctrine  of  demoniacal  influence  false  ?  If  so,  then  Je- 
sus took  the  most  direct  method  to  perpetuate  the  belief  of  that 
falsity,  by  accommodating  himself  so  completely  to  the  deceived 
vulgar.  But  this  was  impossible ;  therefore  the  doctrine  of  de- 
moniacal influence  is  a  true  doctrine,  otherwise  Christ  would  ne- 
ver have  given  it  the  least  countenance  or  support,  as  he  every 
wliere  has  done," 

There  is  one  thing  remarkable  m  the  above  account,  which 
is,  that  when  the  Saviour  commanded  the  spirit  to  come  out  of 
the  lad,  that  it  wied  out  with  a  voice  of  its  own,  the  lad  being 
dumb,  and  unable  to  utter  a  sound,  from  exhaustion  and  loss  of 
strength  ;  by  which  we  discover,  the  spirit  itself  cried  out  with 
its  own  voice,  by  the  means  of  the  lips  of  the  child  ;  this  the  text 
justifies  beyond  all  doubt,  by  which  is  identified  the  presence  of 
one  of  those  fallen  angels,  now  called  devils. 

We  come  now  to  relate  a  no  less  remarkable  account  of  the 
same  description,  found  in  Acts  xix.,  and  was  followed  with 
consequences,  the  most  advantageous  to  Christianity,  but  no 
thanks  to  the  evil  spirit  therefore.  While  St.  Paul  was  at 
Lphesus — a  city  in  Asia  Minor,  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Mediterranean  —  great  success  attended  his  preaching-  there 
among  the  pagans,  on  account  of  a  miracle  done  by  him,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ ;  so  that  if  even  a  garment,  or  a  handker- 
chief which  had  been  about  the  person  of  St.  Paul,  was  carried, 
and  placed  upon  the  body  of  any  one  who  was  sick,  or  were  pos- 
sessed with  evil  spirits,  they  were  immediately  cured  of  their 
diseases,  and  the  evil  spirit  went  out  of  them  On  which  account, 
certain  vagabond  Jews  took  upon  them  to  call  over  them  which 
had  evil  spirits,  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  saying,  We  adjure 
you  by  Jesus,  whom  Paul  prcacheth.  And  there  were  seven 
sons  of  one  Sceva,  a  Jew,  and  chief  of  the  priests,  which  did  so, 
and  the  evil  spirit  answered  and  said,  Jesus  J  know,  and  Paul  1 
know,  but  who  are  ye?  And  lie  in  whom  the  evil  spirit  was, 
leaped  on  them  and  overcome  them,  and  prevailed  against  them, 
so  that  they  lied  out  of  that  house,  naked  and  wounded.  And 
this  was  known  to  all  the  jews,  ami  Greeks,  dwelling  at  Ephe- 
sus,  and  fear  fell  on  them  all,  and  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
was  magnified.  And  many  that  believed,  came  and  confessed, 
and  shewed  their  deeds  ;  many  of  them  also  which  used  cu- 
rious arts,  brought  their  books  together  and  burned  them  be- 
fore all  men,  and  they  counted  the  price  of  them,  and  found 
it  fifty  thousand  pieces  of  silver," — amounting  to  seventeen 
hundred  and  sixty-five  dollars  ;  the  pieces  being  the  Greek  scs- 


350  IlISTOHY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

tertius,  worth  something  over  three  and  a  half  cents  of  the  Ame- 
rican currency. 

Now  here  was  a  great  reformation  from  Paganism  to  Chris 
tianity.  occasioned  by  a  mad  man.  who  took  it  into  Ins  head  to 
jump  on  the  hacks  of  a  lot  of  Jews,  who  happened  to  come  in 
his  way,,  and  drove  them  forth  in  true  pugilistical  style — if  we 
are  to  believe  what  CJniversalists  tell  us  about  these  things.  [See 
the  Plate.) 

A  reformation  got  up  on  such  grounds — if  there  was  nothing 
supernatural  in  the  performance  of  this  demoniac — we  should 
imagine,  would  been  of  short  duration,  as  it  would  have  soon 
appeared  to  be  no  fact,  above  a  common  occurrence,  or  a  mere 
scuffle,  and  besides  this,  the  spirit  of  the  Lord  is  also  suppo- 
sed, as  taking  the  advantage  of  the  circumstance,  by  which 
Paul  and  the  then  ministers  of  Christianity,  were  greatly  en- 
couraged to  go  on,  and  to  preach  with  great  boldness,  all  bot- 
tomed on  this  freak  of  a  mad  man,  and  his  caper  with  the  se- 
ven sons  of  Sceva,  a  jew.  But  as  this  reformation  continued 
and  prevailed,  and  was  c  '  the  Most  High,  we  conclude 

the  spirit,  which  was  in  the  man,  was  a  devil,  or  he  never  could 
have  overcome  seven  to  one,  and  that  the  circumstance  caused 
great  fear  and  concern  on  religious  subjects,  which  occasioned 
multitudes  to  resort  to  the  Apostle's  preaching,  to  know  what 
they  should  do  to  be  saved,  and  were  converted  to  the  Christian 
faith. 

Respecting  this  demoniac,  we  give  the  remarks  of  Adam 
Clarke,  as  follows  :  -Certain  of  the  vagabond  Jews,  who  went 
about  p;  exorcism,  finding  that  Paul  cast  out  demons 

through  the  name  of  Jesus,  thought  by  using  the  same  name, 
that  they  might  produce  the  same  effects,  and  if  they  could,  they 
knew  it  would  be  to  them  an  ample  source  of  revenue — for  de- 
moniacs abounded  in  the  i 

Josephus,  while  speaking  of  the  wisdom  of  Solomon,  says, 
that  lie  had  the  skill  by  v  •  re  expelled,  and  that 

he  left  behind  him  the  manner  of  using  exorcisms,  by  which 
they  were  cast  out,  arid  that  those  arts  were  known  to  his  coun- 
trymen, the  Jews,  down  to  his  own. time,  eighty  years  after  the 
time  of  s  the  following  relation.     ';  I  have  seen 

(says  Josephus)  a  c<  i  of  my  own  country,  a  Jew,  v. ' 

namewi  ;ar,  releasi  pie  that  were  demoniacs,  in  the 

presence  of  I  n,  the  emperor,  and  of  his  sous,  his  captains, 

and   tin  i  lultitude  of  '  The  manner  of  tho 

cum  was  thi  :  !  I  •  put  a  ring  that  had  a  root  of  one  of  those 
sorts,  mentioned  by  I      nostrils  of, i lie  demoniac, 

when  he  drew  out  the  demon  through  the  and  when  the 

man  fell  down,  ho  imm<  I  piril  to  return  into 

th^  person  while  mention  «,t*  Solomon, 


ILLiS  OF  Tin*  SCRIPTURES.  853 

and  reciting  tho  incantation  which  Solomon  had  composed." 
— Josephu?  Book  of  A  iniquities  of  the  Jewsi  vol.  S,  chap.  2, 
section  5. 

Dr.  Clarke  says  -  in  his  Comment  on  1st  Kings  xi.  —respec- 
ting the  reputed  wisdom  of  Solomon,  that  the  writings  of  the 
East,  among  the  Persians,  Chinese,  and  Hindoos,  which  are 
famous  for  their  wisdom,  have  derived  their  celebrity— if  we 
may  believe  their  own  best  writers— in  a  great  measure  from 
Solomon.  Encomiums  of  his  wisdom,  are  everywhere  to  be  met 
with  in  the  Asiastic  writers,  and  his  name  is  famous  in  every 
part  of  the  ! . 

t  of  the  Oriental  historians,  poets,  and  philosophers,  men- 
tion Solomon  ben  Daud,  or  Solomon  the  son  of  David:  who 
say,  that  during  his  reign,  God,  not  only  subjected  to  his  reign, 
men,  but  good  and  evil  spirits.  Solomon's  seal,  and  Solomon's 
are  highly  celebrated  by  them,  and  to  which,  they  attri- 
bute ;;  gr  .it  variety  of  magical  effects.  The  best  and  oldest  wri- 
■'  this  description,  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  the  profonndest 
respect,  as  being  the  wisest  man  in  all  branches  of  human  attain- 
ments, on  the  earth. 

That  th  ians  should  have  had  a  knowledge 

of  the  true  God.  is  net  surprising,  when  it  is  recollected  that 
the  whole  nation  of  the  Jews  was  carried  into  that  country,  and 
that  with  them  went  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  as 
much  of  it  as  ..  en  at  that  time,  which  comprehended  all 

the  bocks  from  Genesis  to  tiie  book  of  Ezekiel,  inclusive.  That 
the  Persians  did  not  teach  the  Jews  a  knowledge  of  the  true 
God,  as  some  have  supposed,  is  shown  from  the  sayings  of  the 
kings  of  Babylon,  who  in  various  conversations  with  Daniel,  the 
Prophet,  and  in  certain  decrees  of  those  kings,  who  say  that  the 
God  of  heaven  was  Daniel's  God,  who  was  the  God  of  the  Jews, 
and  gave  directions  by  decrees,  that  all  the  nations  of  the  Mcdo- 
in  empire,  should  fear  and  tremble  before  the  God  of  Daniel, 
as  that  he  was  able  to  do  his  will  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  and 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 

Daniel  and  his  fellows,  not  only  taught  the  existence  and  at- 
tributes of  the  true  God.  there  at  Babylon,  but  also  the  doctrine 
of  the  existence  of  the  Sen  of  God,  as  follows  :  "  I  saw  in  the 
night,  visions,  and  behold  one  like  the  Son  of  Man.  came  with 
•vn.  (his  holy  angels,)  and  came  to  the  an- 
cient of  days,  and  they  brought  him  near  before  him.  And 
tb< -re  was  given  him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that 
all  nations  should  serve  him.'-  Daniel  vii.  "13, 14.  Also  Daniel 
iii.  24,  25.. — " Then  Nebuchadnezzer  the  king  was  astonished, 
and  rose  up  in  haste,  and  spake,  and  said  unto  his  counsellors, 
Did  not  we  cast  tl  n  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  fire  / 

They  i  rid.  True,  D  king,     lie  answered,  (in  re- 


354  HISTORY  OP  THE    FALS.EN 

ply)  Lo,  1  sco  four  men  walking  in  tho  midst  of  tho  ftra,  and 
they  have  no  hurt ;  and  the  form  of  tho  fourth  is  like  the  So?i 
of  God.'''  Again,  chap,  ix.,  the  angel  Gabriel  spoke  to  Daniel, 
and  told  him  plainly  when  the  Messiah,  Jesus  Christ,  should 
come  into  the  world— see  verses  21,  25,  26,  27, — and  that  it 
would  be  seventy  weeks  till  that  time,  which  was  four  hundred 
and  ninety  years. 

It  cannot  therefore,  with  any  show  of  probability,  be  supposed 
that  the  Jews  learned  these  things  of  the  Persian  Magi,  as  it  is 
clear  that  Daniel,  his  fellows,  and  the  Jewish  Scriptures  taught 
them  to  the  Persians  ;  from  whom  there  is  not  a  doubt  but  Zo- 
roaster received  his  opinions,  so  far  as  arc  found  to  agree  with 
the  Scriptures  of  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments,  and  as 
now  taught  by  the  orthodox  sects.  Hence  the  opinion — which 
obtained  among  the  Persian  Magi — of  a  Mediatorial  God,  who 
was  finally  to  overcome  Ahriman,  the  evil  being,  or  Satan,  was 
derived. 

From  the  same  source,  the  Jews,  and  their  Scriptures,  the  Per- 
sians, Zoroaster,  and  all,  learned  all  the  peculiar  doctrines  as  now 
taught  by  the  orthodox  sects,  notwithstanding  the  taunt  of  the 
Universalists  to  the  contrary,  namely,  that  the  orthodox  learned 
them  of  the  Persians. 

The  notice  these  early  eastern  writers  give  us  of  Solomon,  the 
son  of  David,  who  built  the  famous  temple  at  Jerusalem,  answers 
and  refutes  a  certain  statement  made  in  a  pamphlet  by  the  Athe- 
ist Club,  a  few  years  since,  in  the  city  of  New- York  ;  who  in 
the  plenitude  of  vast  information,  and  insolence  unbounded,  de- 
fied the  whole  Christian  world  to  show  that  the  Jewish  people 
had  any  existence,  on  the  page  of  history,  farther  back  from  the 
time  of  Christ  than  five  hundred  years  :  which,  if  it  were  true, 
would  sweep  out  of  existence  the  history  of  the  creation,  the  fall 
of  man,  the  flood,  the  account  of  Abraham,  the  giving  the  law 
by  Moses,  and  all  the  acts  of  the  Israelitish  people,  down  to  the 
time  of  their  release  from  a  state  of  captivity  among  the  Chalde- 
ans,  at  Babylon,  and  prove  the  entire  ruin  of  the  whole  Old  Tes- 
tament veracity. 

But  the  statement  is  false,  and  was  made  in  ignorance,  as  well 
as  in  malice  ;  for  Solomon  lived  a  thousand  years  before  the 
Christian  era,  which  is  shown  from  Josephus,  as  well  as  from 
the  Bible  chronology;  the  writings  of  the  Egyptians,  as  quoted 
by  Josephus,  in  his  refutation  of  certain  slanders  these  writers 
propagated  about  the  Jews  or  Israelites,  while  in  Egypt  in  servi- 
tude ;  and  also  by  the  traditions  of  the  Arabs  to  this  day,  claim- 
ing to  be  the  descendants  of  Abraham,  by  way  of  his  son  Ish- 
mael  ;  as  also  by  the  above  notiecd  eastern  historians,  in  the 


ANOKL0  OF  TnH  SCRIPTURES.  35o 

Chinese  language,  written  six  or  eight  hundred  years  before  the 
( Christian  era. 

Bat  to  return  to  the  subject.  "Exorcisms,  or  the  adjuration 
of  evil  spirits  were  frequent/5  says  Dr.  Clarke,  '•  in  the  primitive 
church  ;  the  name  of  Jesus  was  that  alone  which  was  used. 
The  primitive  fathers  speak  strong  and  decisive  concerning  the 
power  of  this  name,  and  how  demons  were  expelled  by  it,  not 
only  from  individuals,  but  from  the  temples  of  the  heathen,  which 
were  turned  into  Christian  churches  in  the  Roman  empire,  the 
very  places  where  from  old,  they,  the  devils,  had  been  worship- 
ped and  sacrificed  unto. 

Ephesus,  at  the  time  Christianity  was  planted  there  by  St.  Paul, 
abounded  with  characters  professing  necromancy;  even  Adrian 
the  Emperor  of  Rome,  was  exceedingly  addicted  to  the  use  of 
necromantic  arts,  and  practised  divination  and  magic,  according 
to  Dio,  a  historian  of  the  first  century,  such  practises  prevailed 
in  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,"  as  was  a  result  of  the  devil  wor- 
ship of  those  ages. 

"  Tho  books  which  they  burnt  at  Ephesus,  were  of  that  kind 
which  instructed  the  people  in  the  use  of  amulets,  stones  on 
which  were  cut  the  strange  characters,  whose  influence,  they 
believed,  was  exerted  over  the  various  orders  of  evil  spirits. 
Among  these,  the  Ephesian  characters  ranked  very  high,  as  be- 
ing exceedingly  powerful  in  this  way,  both  in  expelling  devils 
and  evoking  their  aid  when  desired.  On  this  subject,  Suidas, 
who  flourished  in  the  tenth  century,  says  the  ancients  used  cer- 
tain obscure  incantations,  and  gives  the  following  as  a  proof : 
When  Milcsius  and  Ephisus  wrestled  at  the  Olympic  games, 
Milcsius  could  not  prevail,  though  vastly  stronger  than  his  fel- 
low :  but  while  he  continued  to  struggle  with  his  weaker  oppo- 
nent, it  was  discovered  that  the  small  man  had  bound  on  the 
bottom  of  his  feet  tho  famous  Ephesian  letters,  or  characters, 
which  were  taken  away,  when  Milcsius  threw  the  other  thirty 
times. 

Heschius,  who  flourished  in  the  third  century,  spenks  also 
of  the  same  thing,  but  is  more  particular  and  curious.  He  says 
the  Ephesian  letters  were  formerly  six  in  number ;  but  that 
certain  deceivers,  who  did  not  understand  their  use  added  others ; 
but  the  true  letters  were  these :  Ask  ion,  Kataskion,  Lix, 
Trtrax,  Damnamkneus,  and  Aision.  The  meaning  of 
which,  says  Dr.  Clarke,  in  English,  is  as  follows  :  Askion,  or 
darkness  ;  Kataskion,  or  light  ;  Lix,  or  the  earth  ;  Tetrc.r. 
tho  year  ;  Damnamcneus,  the  sun  ;  and  Aision,  or  truth  ;  all 
of  which  arc  sacred  and  important  things. 

These  words,  no  doubt,  served  as  the  key  to  different  rpells 
and  incantations,  and  were  used  in  order  to  the  attainment  of  a 
groat  variety  of  ends.     Tho  Abraxas  of  the  Bassillidans,  a  sect 


35()  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

of  Egyptian  Gnostics,  of  the  second  century,  were  formed  on 
the  basis  of  the  Ephesian  letters."' — Clarke.  We  here  give  a 
facsimile  specimen  of  some  of  the  figures  and  characters,  cut  in 
the  amulets  and  charmed  stones  of  those  ages  of  Gnosticism, 
which  were  worn  about  their  persons,  ready  for  use  when  they 
wished  to  operate  supernaturally,  and  were  thus  used  by  the 
Gnostics,  a  set  of  spurious  Christians,  whose  extravagant  opinions 
spread  over  all  the  east  at  a  very  early  period,  vestiges  of  which 
are  yet  remaining,  and  are  often  found  beneath  the  soil,  in  many 
parts  of  Asia  and  Africa.     (See  the  Plate.) 

Simon  Magus,  is,  by  many  writers,  considered  as  the  father 
of  all  the  Gnostic  heresies.  He  had  been  a  wizard  by  profes- 
sion ;  and  so  persuaded  were  the  people  of  Samaria  that  he  was 
some  extraordinary  person,  that  they  affirmed  him  to  be  the  great 
power  of  God.  Acts,  viii.  9,  10.  But  being  converted  by  Phil- 
lip's preaching,  he  believed  and  was  baptized  ;  but  relapsing  soon 
alter  into  his  old  ways,  we  see  him  offering  money  to  Peter  and 
John,  to  be  endued  like  them  with  the  power  of  working  mira- 
cles. The  terrible  rebuke  this  impious  proposal  met  with,  brought 
him  for  a  season,  to  a  penitent  frame  of  mind  :  here,  however,  the 
Apostolic  narrative  leaves  him,  and  to  complete  his  history  we 
must  refer  to  other  sources  of  information. 

We  learn  from  Origan,  of  ilio  second  century,  ono  of  the 
fathers  of  Ecclesiastical  history,  that  Simon  Magus  was  at  Home 
during  the  persecutions  under  Nero,  and  taught  his  followers 
that  they  might  conform  to  the  rites  of  paganism  without  sin  ; 
and  that,  by  this  latitudinarian  doctrine  he  saved  them  from 
martyrdom.  This  wretched  man  went  so  far  as  to  announce 
himself  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Nor  was  this  enough  : 
he  united  in  his  own  nature  all  the  persons  of  the  Trinity  ;  in 
Samaria,  his  native  country,  he  was  the  Father,  in  Judea,  the 
So?i,  amongst  the  Gentiles,  the  Holy  Ghost.  All  the  enormities 
of  this  odious  magician  need  not  be  related  ;  one,  however,  is  too 
singular  to  be  omitted  :  he  carried  about  with  him  a  lady  named 
Helena,  and  announced  her  as  the  identical  person  whose  fatal 
beauty  had  occasioned  the  Trojan  war,  (a  thousand  years  before.) 
She  had  passed,  by  a  hundred  transmigrations,  into  her  present 
form  ;  she  was  the  first  conception,  he  said,  of  his  own  eternal 
mind  ;  by  her  he  had  begotten  angels  and  archangels,  and  by 
these  had  the  world  been  created.  This  heresy  was  not  much 
ahead  of  that  of  the  Shakers  of  the  present  day,  who  believe  that 
Ann  Lee,  the  wife  of  a  blacksmith  in  England,  and  the  mother 
of  many  children,  was  the  bride  of  the  Lamb,  or  the  Lamb's 
wife ;  and  that  she  was  the  woman  of  the  Revelations,  who  was 
clothed  with  the  sun,  and  had  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon 
her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars  :  and  that  by  her,  not  only  the 
door  of  complete  and  finished  salvation  was  opened  to  this  world, 
but  the  world  to  come  ;  and  that  she  suffered  in  liko  manner  for 


AXGELfl  OF  THE  6CR1  PTURES.  357 

Bin,  and  that  without  her  Christ  himself  is  imperfect. — Brown's 
History  of  the  Shaken^  pages  111,  115,  886.  And  that  her 
pretensions  readied  even  beyond  this  life,  according  to  the  same 
author,  in  the  same  work  :  he  says  of  her,  that  at  a  certain  time 
during  the  Revolution,  when  Ann  Lle  was  imprisoned  in  the 
city  of  Albany,  with  other  Shakers,  on  a  suspicion  of  toryism, 
of  which  they  were  not  guilty,  that  she  declared  that  many  de- 
parted human  spirits  had  corne  to  her,  and  had  confessed  their 
sins,  and  accordingly  were  absolved,  and  immediately  entered 
into  rest. 

The  disciples  of  this  impostor,  Simon  Magus,  represented  him 
under  the  form  of  Jupiter,  and  his  female  associate  under  that  of 
Minerva:  and  these  representations  were  probably  the  first  of 
those  Gnostic  amulets,  which  afterwards  became  so  numerous. 
The  annexed  engraving  (marked  No.  1)  is  from  a  gem  in  the  col- 
lection of  Dr.  Walsh,  which  he  thinks  was  fabricated  by  the  im- 
mediate followers  of  Simon  Magus.  The  stone  is  a  chalcedony, 
and  the  sculpture  rude.  Jupiter  is  represented  in  armor,  an  im- 
age of  victory  on  his  hand,  and  the  eagle  and  the  thunderbolt  at 
his  feet.  On  the  reverse  is  an  inscription,  which  has  not  been 
explained.  The  singular  arrangement  of  the  letters  is  supposed 
to  be  expressive  of  the  coil  of  a  serpent,  a  favorite  Gnostic  emblem, 
found  in  various  forms  and  combinations  upon  most  of  their  ta- 
lismonic  remains.  The  figure  marked  No. 2.  is  another  of  those 
Gnostic  "ferns.  The  female  figure,  with  a  finger  placed  on  the 
lip,  is  a  token  of  silence,  in  imitation  of  the  Saurian  priests,  who 
prescribed  taciturnity  to  their  followers.  The  other  figure  with 
the  head  of  a  deer,  is  the  Egyptian  Anubifl  ;  the  characters  are 
not  as  yet  interpreted. 

No.  3,  is  also  a  Gnostic  amulet,  which  shows  the  arch; 
Michael,  having  a  body  like  a  man,  but  a  head  and  wings  like  a 
hawk.  The  opposite  characters  signify  the  >"mirjld  of  Mi- 
chael,' so  monstrous  and  foolish  were  the  notions  of  this  spurious 
sect  of  Christians  ;  who  blended  parts  of  Judaism.  Paganism,  and 
Christianity  together,  besides  much  invention  of  their  own,  more 
monstrous  than  all  the  errors  of  the  whole  pagan  world  put 
together,  to  make  out  their  entire  system  of  wickedness  ;  we  say 
wickedness,  because  they  taught  the  gratification  of  all  the  pas- 
sions in  the  fullest  extent,  to  be  the  only  way  to  recommend  them 
to  God. 

No.  1  is  a  gem  of  great  beauty,  which  is  in  the  possession  of 
Lord  S'rangford,  and  was  an  emblem  of  a  sect  of  Gnostics,  who 
worshipped  the  serpent,  and  are  called  the  Ophites-oi"  Egypt. 
This  sect  believed  that  Christ  was  disguised  in  that  reptikC  and 
accordingly,  as  nla:  here  one 

of  the  1-  ~>ntnvcd 

to  build  a  wall,  leaving  space  at  i  for  it  to 

move  about  in.  and  over  the  cave  they  elected  an  altar  for  wor 

25 


3^8  HISTORt  OF  THE   FALLEN 

ship.     The  animal  they  succeeded  to  tame,  by  enticing  it  from 
its  retreat  with  such  food  as  pleased  its  appetite.     This  done, 
they  would  place  the  elements  of  the  eucharist,  so  that  the  tongue 
of  the  serpent  might  be  extended  to  them,  after  which  they 
partook  of  them  as  from  the  hand  of  the  Redeemer.     On  this 
gem  is  shown  a  serpent,  with  the  head  of  a  lion  encompassed 
with  rays,  and  is  supposed  to  signify  Christ,  the  lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah.     The  right  line  traversed  by  three  curved  ones,  on 
the  other  face  of  this  gem,  remains  unexplained.     The  upper 
inscription  is  the  mystic  term  ABRAXAS,  or  God.     The  lower 
characters  have  been  generally  taken  as  a  Greek  corruption  of 
the   awful   tetragrammaton  of  the  Jews,  or  Jehovah  of  the 
Gnostics  ;  one  of  their  most  remarkable  tenets  was  that  malevo- 
lent spirits  ruled  the  world,  presided  over  all  nature,  and  caused 
all  the  diseases  and  sufferings  of  the  human  race.     But  by- 
knowledge,  which  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  Gnostic,  they 
believed  these  spirits  could  be  controlled,  their  power  suspended, 
and  even  made  subservient  to  the  use  and  benefit  of  man.     Of 
this  science  they  boasted  of  being  masters ;   which  consisted 
chiefly  in  the  efficacy  of  numbers,  and  certain  mysterious  hiero- 
glyphics, and  emblematic  characters,  adopted  chiefly  from  the 
Egyptians.     Hence  they  made  systems  of  what  they  called 
monads,  tryads,  and  decads ;   and  formed  figures  of  the  dog 
Anubis,  the  serpent  Serapis,  and  other  idols,  combined   in   a 
thousand  varieties,  with  the  forms  of  serpents  and  other  animals 
of  mythological  renown.     These  compositions  of  mystic  num- 
bers and  figures,  they  sculptured  on  gems  and  stones  of  different 
kinds,  and  maintained  that  whoever  bore  one  of  them  upon  his 
person,  was  secured  by  it  from  the  particular  evil  it  was  construc- 
ted to  guard  against. 

Amulets  against  diseases  were  formed  of  materials  having  an 
imaginary  connection  with  the  distemper  ;  as  read  against  all 
morbid  affections  of  an  inflamatory  character  ;  ehrystal,  glass,  or 
some  pale  colored  stone,  against  those  that  were  watery  or  drop- 
sical ;  and  so  of  all  others. 

No.  5  is  a  gem  with  a  charm  engraved  upon  it,  to  guard 

as^iinst  the  ague,  constructed  by  an  eminent  follower  of  Bassil- 

licles,  the  Egyptian  leader  of  the  Gnostics.     On  one  side  is  a 

human  figure,  with  a  head  of  a  cock,  the  legs  are  serpents,  and 

between  them  is  the  mystic  word  IAw.     On  the  opposite  are  the 

elements  of  an  Abracadabra,  showing  the  process  of  the  deity 

through  the  corporeal  world,  formed  in  this  manner  : 

A  E  H  I  O  Y 

E  H  I  O  Y 

HlOY 

I  O  Y 

O  Y 

Y 


ANGELS  OF  TUB  SCRIPTURES.  350 

But  lastly,  in  pursuit  of  evldcnco  of  the  being  of  evil  spirits, 
we  bring  the  case  of  the  Phillippian  girl,  which  is  recorded  in 
the  book  of  Acts,  chap.  xvi.  who  was  possessed  of  a  devil.     This 
account,  were  it  the  only  one  in  the  whole  Bible,  would  prove 
beyond  all  decent  contradiction,  that  the  belief  is  according  to 
the  truth.     The  account  is  as  follows  :  The  Apostles  Paul  and 
Silas,  being  in  the  city  of  Phillippi,  in  Macedonia,  went  out  on 
a  certain  Sabbath  day,  by  the  side  of  a  river,  where  was  a  place 
to  which  the  Jews  in  that  city  resorted  to  pray,  and  to  worship. 
But  as  they  went,  a  certain  young  woman,  who  had  for  several 
days  before  followed  Paul  and  Silas,  as  they  went  about  teaching 
the  new  doctrine  of  Christianity,  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  "  these 
are  the  servants  of  the  most  higfy  God.  which  shew  unto  us 
the  way  of  salvation  ;"  so  she  continued  to  do  on  this  day  also. 
But  Paul  being  grieved  with  her  crying  this  thing  continually,  as 
he  did  not  wish  the  testimony  of  one  who  was  possessed  with  a 
devil  to  aid  the  cause  of  truth,  which  he  was  preaching,  he 
turned  to  her  "and  said  to  the  spirit,  I  command  thee,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus- Christ,  to  come  out  of  her  ;  and  he  came  out  of 
her  the  same  hour."     This  girl,  it  appears,  was  possessed  with  a 
spirit  of  divination,  by  which  means  the  persons  with  whom  she 
lived  got  much  money,  as  by  the  spirit  she  could  tell  fortunes, 
and  discover  things  that  were  lost.  But  by  a  mere  word  spoken  by 
the  Apostle,  not  to  the  girl,  but  to  the  spirit,  by  which  she  could 
divine,  this  power  or  gift  at  once  forsook  her,  so  that  her  masters 
perceived   that  the  hope  of  their  gain  was  gone.     On  which 
account  a  mob  was  soon  collected,  and  both  Paul  and  Silas  cast 
into  prison.     But  the  same  night  which  followed  the  day  in 
which  those  things  took  place,  the  whole  city  was  shaken  by  an 
earthquake.     The  prison  in  which  they  were  put  trembled  to  its 
foundations ;  when  the  fetters  aud  chains  of  all  the  prisoners 
were  broken  loose,  a  thing  which  a  common  earthquake  could 
not  have  done,  without  breaking  the  limbs  of  the  prisoners  and 
causing  their  immediate  death. 

Now  respecting  this  young  woman,  it  is  not  said  that  she  was 
sick  or  in  any  way  afflicted  with  disease,  or  that  she  was  mad,  or 
distrated,  or  in  any  way  outrageous  :  but  that  she  simply  an- 
swered questions  as  they  were  put  to  her,  by  those  who  wished  to 
profit  by  what  she  could  tell  them.  Yet  the  Apostle,  by  the  power 
which  he  had  of  discerning  spirits,  saw  that  a  devil  had  posses- 
sion of  her,  and  that  this  same  devil  knew  the  character  and 
business  of  Paul  and  Silas,  and  from  whence  they  derived  it. 
This  spirit  knew  those  men,  as  all  the  devils  knew  the  Messiah 
before  he  came  into  the  world,  to  be  the  dreadful  Son  of  God, 
the  Messiah,  by  whose  power  they  had  been  driven  down  from 
heaven  ;  and  by  whose  power  a  hell  of  fire  and  brimstone  had 
been  created  for  them,  into  which  they  knew  they  were  finally 
and  permanently  to  be  cast  at  the  day  of  judgment.     And  for 


3G0  HISTORY  OF  THE   FALLEN 

this  same  reason,  tho  devils  spoken  of  in  Mattb.  viii.  29,  who 
were  cast  out  of  the  men  who  had  their  dwelling  among  the 
tombs,  adjured  the  Saviour,  by  the  living  God,  not  to  torment 
them  before  the  time  of  that  judgment.  "And  when  this  spirit 
which  had  possession  of  the  girl,  heard  Paul  and  Silas  preaching 
in  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  knew  them  to  be  his  ministers, 
and  immediately  incited  this  poor  ignorant  young  woman  to  cry 
out,  "these  are  the  servants  of  the  most  high  God,"  or  of  Jesus 
Christ,  which  is  the  same  ;  and  proves  that  Christ  was  God,  for 
Paul  and  Silas  were  the  servants  of  Christ. 

But  possibly,  it  may  be  said  by  some  who  do  not  believe  in  the 
being  of  devils,  otherwise  than  shown  in  the  human  heart,  that 
as  the  girl  had  for  several  days  heard  the  Apostles  preach,  she 
might  take  it  into  her  head  to  hallo  after  them  in  this  manner, 
saying,  these  are  the  servants  of  the  most  high  God,  &c.  and 
therefore  there  was  nothing  supernatural  about  it.  If  this  should 
be  said,  it  is  replied,  that  it  appears  the  girl,  however,  was  cor- 
rect, and  evinced  by  far  a  greater  knowledge  of  the  Messiah's 
kingdom  than  the  disciples  themselves,  who  had  -been  with  him 
several  years  before  his  death ;  and  especially  Thomas,  who  did 
not  find  out  that  he  was  his  Lord  and  his  God  till  after  his 
resurrection,  and  even  then  with  considerable  difficulty.  This 
is  more  than  should  be  expected  of  the  poor  heathen  girl,  who 
did  not  know  there  was  a  most  high  God,  having  been  taught,  if 
taught  at  all,  to  believe  in  the  existence  of  many  gods,  as  images, 
the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  &c.  That  she  was  possessed,  therefore, 
by  a  power  superior  to  herself,  is  clear :  and  knew  more  than 
even  the  wisest  citizens  of  Phillippi,  which  is  the  proof  of  Satanic 
influence. 

But  some  may  wish  to  know  why  St.  Paul  was  displeased 
with  the  testimony  which  the  girl  gave,  as  it  went  to  establish 
the  truth  of  his  preaching  ?  This  question  is  answered  by  Adam 
Clarke,  and  appears  to  be  sufficient,  who  says  :  "  Mark  the  deep 
design  and  artifice  of  this  evil  spirit.  1st.  He  well  knew  that 
the  Jewish  law  abhored  all  magic,  incantations,  and  dealings 
with  familiar  spirits  ;  he  therefore  bears  testimony  to  what  was 
in  itself  true,  that  by  it  he  might  destroy  their  credit,  and  ruin 
their  usefulness  ;  as  the  Jews  would  at  once  be  led  to  believe 
that  the  Apostles  were  in  compact  with  demons,  and  that  the 
miracle  which  had  been  wrought  on  the  girl,  was  done  by  the 
aid  of  wicked  spirits,  and  that  the  whole  was  the  effect  of  magic. 
This  conclusion  of  course,  would  have  hardened  their  hearts 
against  their  preaching.  2d.  The  Gentiles  finding  that  their 
own  demon  bore  testimony  to  the  Apostles,  would  most  naturally 
consider  that  the  whole  was  one  system,  and  that  they  had  noth- 
ing to  learn,  nothing  to  correct,  and  thus  their  preaching  would 
have  proved  useless  in  that  part  of  the  country.  In  this  pred  ic  a 
merit,  nothing  could  have  saved  the  credit  of  the  Apostles  bu 


ANGE16  OP  THE  BCRIPTttlES.  S61 

neir  dispossessing  tliis  woman  of  her  familiar  spirit,  and  that  in 
the  most  incontestible  manner.  Every  circumstance  of  this 
case  proves  it  to  have  been  a  real  demoniac  possession.  St. 
Luke,  in  recording  the  account  as  it  was  him  who  wrote  the 
book  of  Acts — speaks  both  of  the  spirit  and  of  the  damsel  as 
distinct  beings.  The  damsel  had  a  spirit  of  divination.  Paul 
turned  to  the  spirit^  not  to  the  girl  solely,  but  to  the  spirit,  and 
said.  I  command  thee  to  come  out  of  her.  and  lie  came  out  the 
saVrie  hour.  Had  not  St.  Luke  considered  this  a  real  case  of 
inic  possession,  lie  has  made  use  of  the  most  improper  lan- 
guage that  could  be  thought  of  :  language  and  forms  of  speech 
calculated  to  deceive  all  his  readers,  and  cause  them  to  believe 
a  lie.  But  this  is  impossible,  as  the  holy  Apostle  could  not  do 
so  :  because  he  was  a  good  man  :  it  was  impossible,  because  he 
was  a  wise  man  ;  it  was  impossible,  because  he  Avas  an  inspired 
man,  and  could  not  be  imposed  upon,  by  either  the  cunning  of 
men  or  devils." 

We  know  not  that  it  is  needful  to  pursue  this  subject  farther, 
as  we  have  proved  the  fact  of  Satanic  existence  from  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  by  so  doing,  have  overturned  the  whole  baseless 
fabric  of  Vniversalism,  in  showing  that  there  is  a  being  known 
to  God  as  Statan,  and  evil  spirits  known  as  devils,  or  fallen 
angels.  And  in  showing  this,  we  show  that  in  the  spiritual 
world  there  arc  sinners,  for  the  Scriptures  say  the  devil  sinneth 
from  the  beginning  ;  and  showing  there  are  sinners  in  that  state, 
we  show,  even  on  the  Universalist's  own  admissions,  that  there 
is  at  least  a  mental  hell,  as  sinners  are  miserable  wherever  they 
are  :  and  therefore  proves  a  local  hell,  as  all  spirits  are  local, 
except  God.  and  arc  always  somewhere,  and  that  somewhere  is 
their  location,  and  the  place  of  their  hell,  even  though  it  is  noth- 
ing more  than  mental.  In  proving  the  existence  of  Satan,  we 
corroborate  the  belief  that  Satan  was  that  being  who  is  called 
Ihc  serpent  by  the  Revelator.  xii.  9.  the  devil  and  Satan  also; 
and  was  he  who  tempted  and  misled  Eve  in  paradise  ;  and  in 
proving  this  we  show  that  Eve  was  not  self  tempted,  self  de- 
luded, self  destroyed  ;  and  that  man  is  fallen,  and  does  not  stand 
in  the  same  moral  relation  to  God  that  he  did  when  first  created, 
as  all  deists  bolieve  he  does,  and  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  discern, 
all  Universal ists  likewise,  who  are  thorough  in  their  faith.  And 
in  proving  the  fall  of  man,  we  show  that  an  atonement  is  admis- 
sible ;  on  which  ground,  offers  of  reconciliation  can  be  made  to 
she  world,  conviction  for  sin,  and  repentance  for  the  same,  with 
pardon  and  sanctification  of  the  mind,  and  final  salvation  be 
obtained,  on  that  and  no  other  account  ;  which  includes  all  the 
conditions  of  gospel  economy,  or  of  Christian  theology,  which 
are  denied  by  all  I'niversalisls  as  well  as  by  all  deists,  who  must 
ttand  or  fall  to  their  own  masters,  in  the  great  day  of  final  reck- 


362  HISTORY  OP  THE    FALLEN 


Strictures  and    Miscellaneous   Remarks   on  the  Subject  of 
Universalist  Doctrines  and    Opinions. 

It  is  announced  in  the  Scriptures,  that  the  Son  of  God  was 
manifest,  that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.     But  if 
there  is  no  other  devil  but  that  of  human  nature,  it  follows  then 
that  human  nature,  which  includes  its  passions,  was  the  particu- 
lar object  of  his  displeasure,  and  marked  victim  of  ruin.     But 
this  is  extremely  singular,  if*  a  certain  opinion  which  is  held  by 
some  Universalists  is  true,  namely,  that  our  race  is  not  truly  and 
radically  fallen  from  their  first  and  original  condition  ;    or,  in 
other  words,  are  as  they  ought  to  be,  with  respect  to  disposition, 
passions,  &c.     On  which  account,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to 
conceive  why  Christ  should  have  come  into  the  world  to  destroy 
this  human  nature  devil,  seeing  it  is  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 
In  support  of  this  opinion,  namely,  that  the  passions  are  all 
right,  it  is  frequently  alleged  by  Universalists,  that  all  the  pas- 
sions of  the  soul,  and  powers  of  the  mind,  as  now  found  in 
exercise  in  human  society,  are  necessary  on  the  whole  for  the 
ascertainment  of  social  happiness,  by  way  of  contrast,  as  once 
before  stated  in  this  work,  but  now  again  mentioned,  for  further 
examination.     By  hatred,  love  is  the  better  known  ;    by  pride, 
humility  is  discovered  :  memory  is  the  opposite  of  forgetfulness. 
By  cruelty,  the  beneficence  of  kindness  and  tenderness  of  heart 
are  known  ;  by  dishonesty,  the  glory  of  uprightness  and  truth  ; 
by  obscenity  and  lasciviousness,  the  excellence  of  chastity  is  ap- 
preciated the  more  readily  ;  by  envy,  lying,  and  malice,  meek- 
ness, good  will,  and  love,  are  seen  ;  by  war,  anger,  and  fierce- 
ness, the  blessings  of  peace,  contentment,  and  quietness  come  to 
light ;  by  superstition  and  bigotry. — liberal  mindedness  and  rea- 
son, shine  the  more  brilliantly  ;  by  all  kinds  of  wickedness,  all 
kinds  of  righteousness  make  their  appearance.     Thus  by  way 
of  contrast,  all  the  virtues  are  the  more  easily  ascertained  in  hu- 
man society.     And  to  enforce  this  doctrine,  it  is  said  that  all  the 
pleasures  of  sense  are  ascertained  in  the  same  way,  and  by  the 
same  rule.     Sight  is  known  by  blindness  ;  feeling,  tasting,  and 
smelling,  by  the  opposite  of  these,  insensibility  and  death.     Hun- 
ger announces  the  joys  of  food  ;  thirst,  the  pleasures  of  the  cool- 
ing fountain  :  rest  is  known  by  labor,  and  the  exhaustion  of  the 
muscular  powers  ;  alertness  and  activity,  by  drowsiness  languor, 
and  sleep. 

But  if  this  principle,  or  rule  of  contrasting  one  thing  with  an- 
other, is  correct,  and  by  it  good  is  thereby  found  out,  we  suppose 
it  impossible  to  carry  the  idea  too  far,  as  truth  never  runs  ashore, 
or  entangles  itself  by  being  extended  ;  if  not,  then  we  have  the 
following  remarkable  result :  If  there  is  a  heaven  of  ineffable  glo- 
ry, and  eternal  duration,  there  is  a  hell  of  unutterable  woe,  and 


Axur.Ls  ov  'rnis  scriptures.  363 

of  equal  continuance,  as  its  contrast.  If  there  arc  happy  angels, 
who  never  sinned  in  heaven,  there  may  be  unhappy  angels  in 
hell,  who  have  sinned.  If  there  are  happy  souls  of  men  who 
have  departed  this  life  in  the  triumphs  of  the  Christian  faith,  in 
heaven,  there  may  be  unhappy  souls  of  men  who  have  departed 
this  life  in  unbelief,  and  are  now  in  hell,  or  in  confinement  for 
that  end.  If  there  is  a  holy  archangel  of  heaven,  who  occupies 
a  condition  of  intellectual  height  above  all  other  holy  angels — as 
the  Scriptures  seem  to  justify — called  Michael,  there  may  be  an 
archangel  of  hell,  who  is  higher  in  intellectual  abilities — posses- 
sing all  the  opposites  of  the  holy  character  of  Michael — who 
reigns  over  the  fallen  angels  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  is  called 
Lucifer,  or  the  devil. 

Thus  we  perceive  that  on  the  very  premises  Universal ists  lay 
down  to  justify  the  existence  of  evil  in  this  world,  there  is  made 
out  from  it,  the  existence  of  evil  in  eternity,  or  in  another  world, 
with  equal  feasibility  ;  for  if  God  has  a  use  for  sin  here,  as  Uni- 
versalists  say  he  has,  who  is  he  that  can  show,  it  will  not  exist 
in  eternity  ? 

But  if  we  are  mistaken  and  the  Universahsts  are  right,  about 
this  contrast  doctrine,  and  it  remains  a  truth,  then  are  all  the 
powers  and  passions  of  our  race,  as  they  should  be,  and  as  they 
were  created  ;  then  indeed,  men,  nor  angels,  are  not  fallen,  as 
commonly  supposed  ;  and  there  is  no  hell,  nor  devil,  sure 
enough  ;  and  more  than  this,  there  is  no  Redeemer — there  was 
no  broken  law — no  offence  on  the  part  of  man,  against  God,  as 
understood  in  the  book  of  Genesis.  There  is  no  need  of  a  days- 
man, or  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  as  taught  In  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  whence  Deism  is  true,  and  the  only  truth  men  need 
believe  ;  and  even  this  is  of  no  mortal  use,  as  all  is  just  as  well 
without  it. 

Universahsts  say  it  makes  the  people  much  happier  to  learn 
that  there  is  nothing  to  fear  on  the  account  of  sin,  beyond  this 
life,  and  that  there  is  no  hell,  &c.  To  this  it  is  replied,  that  no 
doubt  all  the  vagabonds  and  criminals  of  the  globe,  would  be 
exceeding  happy  to  learn  that  all  law  and  punishment  for 
crimes  were  abolished  ;  yet  we  are  far  from  supposing  that  such 
a  change  in  their  favor  would  make  their  hearts  or  natures  any 
better,  even  if  they  were  seemingly  happier  for  a  short  time  ;  as 
it  is  certain  that  the  abolishment  of  the  sanctions  of  human  laws, 
would  not  be  for  the  happiness  of  either  the  good  or  the  bad,  in 
no  age  or  country.  We  may  say  the  same  respecting  a  man 
who  is  wicked  even  to  extremities,  yet  always  believed,  even 
from  infancy,  that  there  is  a  hell  beyond  this  life,  into  which  he 
may  finally  fall.  Now  let  this  man  be  informed  that  his  belief 
and  his  apprehensions  are  entirely  unfounded,  and  cause  him  to 
rely  upon  it,  what  would  be  the  effect  ?  Why,  in  a  moment  he 
would  be  relieved  of  a  grievous  burden,  the  fear  of  damnation 


364  riKiTORV  OP  THE   FALLEN 

after  death  would  be  taken  away ;  but  not  because  his  heart 
could  be  made  better  thereby,  or  because  he  would  view  God  as 
any  more  amiable  than  before  this  change  of  opinion  ;  but  for 
no  other  reason  than  that  his  fears  would  be  removed;  the 
same,  precisely  the  same,  as  in  the  case  of  the  abolishment  of  the 
punishment  for  criminals,  as  we  have  shown  before  ;  the  evil 
propensities  remaining,  nay  more,  those  propensities  are  in- 
creased in  exact  proportion  as  they  are  pampered  and  fears  sub- 
side in  the  actor. 

To  talk  about  the  goodness  of  God  manifested  in  such  a  way, 
would  be  preposterous,  and  open  a  door  for  the  most  abandoned 
to  enquire,  what  goodness,  and  how  does  it  appear  7  The  an- 
swer to  this  would  be,  according  to  Universalists,  that  it  appears 
in  this,  that  he  has  made  no  hell  for  the  wicked  in  another  life, 
though  men  leave  the  world  as  wicked  as  can  be  conceived  of. 
But,  enquires  the  sinner,  would  it  be  just  for  God  to  have  done 
this  ?  If  it  be  answered  yes,  it  would  have  been  just,  then  his 
reply  is,  because  he  has  not  done  it,  he  is  therefore  unjust ;  and 
a  God  unjust  is  a  wicked  God.  But  if  the  sinner  is  told  that 
the  creation  of  a  hell  for  sinners  would  be  an  unjust,  wrong,  and 
foolish  thing,  and  that  therefore  he  has  not  done  it,  then  the  sin- 
ner still  continues  his  enquiry,  wishing  to  know  from  whence 
the  goodness  of  God  appears  on  that  account,  as  it  was  impos- 
sible for  him  to  have  done  if  it  were  an  unjust  and  foolish 
thing.  The  result  of  this  enquiry  is,  that  God's  goodness  does 
not  appear  at  all,  on  this  particular  subject,  that  of  the  non-crea- 
tion of  a  hell  in  another  world  ;  as  on  that  account  there  is  noth- 
ing brought  to  light,  except  his  great  indifference  to  sin  and  sin- 
ners, as  there  is  no  penalty  of  more  importance  than  is  merely 
temporal ;  and  even  that  is  not  absolutely  certain,  as  appears 
from  the  prosperity  and  temporal  happiness  of  many  of  the  great 
and  the  rich  in  this  life. 

By  Universalists  it  is  contended  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  good- 
ness of  God,  as  a  father  and  a  creator,  to  permit,  allow,  or  cause 
to  be,  a  state  of  endless  punishment  in  another  world,  on  account 
of  anything  which  the  human  soul  can  do  in  this  life,  in  the  way 
of  sin  and  transgression  against  the  law  of  God.  As  well,  how- 
ever, might  it  be  maintained  that  he  who  should  sever  a  limb 
from  his  own  hody  in  his  youth,  by  a  wanton  act  of  heedlessness 
or  desperation,  which  God  in  his  goodness  had  furnished  him 
with,  that  this  same  goodness  is  bound  as  a  father  and  a  creator, 
to  prevent,  or  immediately  to*  restore.  For  it  may  be  enquired, 
why  should  the  act  of  a  moment  subject  a  man  to  the  mortifica- 
tion and  want  of  a  limb,  twenty,  fifty,  or  eighty  years  I  But  as 
we  see  such  privations  are  consistent  with  the  goodness  and 
fatherly  government  of  the  Most  High,  though  done  in  the  great- 
est wantonness,  and  in  a  moment  of  time,  how  is  it  to  be  shown, 
that  if  a  man  incapacitate  himself,  in  a  moral  point  of  light,  for 


aS'of.lb  of  tiik  sciin-'Ti  J<i:.i.  $05 

the  holy  enjoyment  of  a  holy  God,  in  a  holy  heaven,  among 

lioly  angels,  and  the  souls  of  the  just  made  perfect,  and  goes  out 
of  this  life  thus  incapacitated,  that  he  m;iy  not  suffer  for  it  to  all 
eternity,  on  the  same  ground  that  he  did  the  loss  ot  a  limb  du- 
ring the  whole  of  his  natural  life.  If  wo  ran  deprive  ourselves 
of  important  comforts  m  tkib  life,  and  yet  the gbodncss  and  pow- 
erof  God  be  not  accountable,  how  is  it  to  be  shown  that  we  can- 
not do  so  in  relation  to  another? 

It  is  of  no  importance  for  the  opponent  to  urge  the  vast  dis- 
parity there  is  between  eighty  years  and  eternity;  for  the  thing  is 
to  be  determined  on  principle^  ami  not  on  the  difference  there  is 
between  lime  and  eternity  5  and  that  principle  is  God's  justice, 
which  if  it  is  consistent  with  goodness  in  one  case,  in  the  light 
of  a  principle^  it  follows  of  necessity,  that  so  it  is  in  the  other. 
The  Divine  Being  acts  upon  principle,  and  in  no  other  way, 
whether  it  concerns  the  greatest  possible  subject  or  the  very 
least  which  his  omniscience  can  apprehend.  It  follows,  there- 
fore, that  the  goodness  of  God  is  not  bound  to  prevent  in  an  ar- 
bitrary and  absolute  manner,  the  eternal  damnation  of  a  morally 
incapacitated  human  soul,  if  that  incapacity  be  not  removed 
before  the  soul  goes  hence. 

The  writer  of  this  work  has  heard  the  famous  Hosea  Ballon, 
3 .-iy  in  the  city  of  Albany,  from  the  desk,  in  1S31,  that  he  thanked 
God  and  was  happy,  that  the  burden  of  the  fear  of  hell,  was  en- 
tirely removed  from  his  mind,  which  had  been  imbibed  from 
early  education.  But  how  infinitely  short  must  his  happiness 
be,  with  all  those  who  hold  with  him,  to  the  happiness  of  a  soul 
which  has  repented  of  its  sins,  been  pardoned,  and  sanctified  by 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  whose  happiness  consists  not  in  the  idea  that 
there  is  no  hell,  but  because  the  evil  nature  is  taken  away  by 
rccncralion  and  the  renewing  of  the  mind  after  the  image  of 
its  Creator;  in  virtue  and  true  holiness;  by  which  a  hope  of 
heaven  is  obtained.  Ix-yond  this  life,  and  on  no  other  ground,  to 
the  praise  of  the  atonement  and  him  who  cifeclcd  it,  in  his  pas- 
sion in  the  garden,  and  on  the  cross. 

The  doctrine  of  unconditional  and  universal  salvation,  is 
most  certainly  calculated  to  make  men  indifferent  to  their  beha- 
viour in  this  life,  and  to  lessen  in  a  wonderful  decree,  the  salu- 
tary fear  of  God  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  a  belief  that  God 
will  punish  the  sinner,  who  shall  die  in  his  sins,  in  another  life, 
has  a  powerful  tendency  to  increase  men's  concern  about  sin  and 
sinful  conduct  in  tins  life,  and  10  induce  them  to  be  reconciled 
to  God  through  die  Mediator,  by  grounding  the 'weapons bf  their 
rebellion  against  his  law  ami  government.  We  have  narrowly 
considered  this  matter,  and  have  not  been  able  to  perceive  uhy 
I'ni versa! ists  should  be  deterred  from  sinful  conduct,  except 
barely  from  the  pride  of  emulation",  and  a  good  name  as  a  people, 
which  at  the  least  is  but  an  uneasv  bridle  ;  for  except  a  man  be 
26 


366  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

born  again  of  the  spirit  from  above,  whereby  he  obtains  fellowship 
with  God  and  with  his  Son,  the  restraints  of  religion  are  exceed- 
ingly unwelcome  to  the  passions  of  such  a  man.  "  What  if  sin- 
ners," says  the  Rev.  Mr,  Fisk,  in  his  sermon  on  future  punish- 
ment, "  happen  to  be  in  an  error  on  this  point,  and  therefore 
mourn  on  account  of  sin,  and  tremble  at  the  thought  of  meeting 
death,  and  appearing  at  the  judgment  in  an  unprepared  condi- 
tion ?  What  if  the  pious,  by  mistake,  should  fear  for  others,  and 
thereby  be  induced,  like  the  Apostle,  to  warn  every  man,  night 
and  day  with  tears  7  What  if  it  cause  parents  to  mourn  and 
weep  for  their  unconverted  children  1  Still  this  error  would 
lead  men  to  nothing  worse  in  this  world  than  to  use  greater  cir- 
cumspection with  respect  to  their  own  walk,  and  to  use  with 
greater  diligence  and  solicitude  those  means  that  are  calculated 
to  reform  others."  The  voice  of  Scripture  is  everywhere,  pre- 
pare to  meet  thy  God,  as  ye  know  not  what  a  day,  or  what  an 
hour  may  bring  forth ;  but  the  voice  of  Universalists  is,  that 
there  is  no  preparation  to  meet  God  necessary,  except  in  the  res- 
urrection at  the  last  day ;  all  is  right,  all  is  well ;  and  therefore 
it  matters  not  what  a  day  or  an  hour  may  bring  forth,  whether 
death  or  life  ;  all  is  well,  as  there  is  to  be  but  one  event,  both  to 
the  good  and  the  bad  after  this  life ;  and  all  such  opinions  as 
teach  contrary  doctrine,  are  but  the  bitg-bears  of  the  nursery, 
and  superstitions  of  the  day. 

Universalists  have  a  singular  notion  on  the  subject  of  the 
atonement,  which  arises  out  of  their  denial  of  its  being  expia- 
tory, or  as  making  satisfaction  for  the  sin  of  Adam,  and  for  the 
sins  of  the  world,  so  as  to  make  it  possible  and  just  for  God  to 
extend  to  the  race  of  man  in  Adam  the  privilege  of  animal  life, 
with  that  of  a  renewed  opportunity  to  serve  God  and  go  to  hea- 
ven ;  and  this  notion  is,  that  the  atonement  is  reconciliation, 
which  is  putting  the  effect  as  cause,  and  the  cause  as  the  erTect. 
There  is  an  immense  distance  between  the  idea  and  fact  of 
atonement  and  reconciliation. 

That  Universalists  hold  the  atonement  and  reconciliation  as 
one  and  the  same  idea,  we  show  from  Mr.  Ballou's  Treatise  on 
Atonement,  see  page  127,  as  follows  :  "  I  have  already  observed 
that  atonement  and  reconciliation  are  the  same."  But  docs 
St.  Paul  teach  this  idea  ?  see  Romans  v.  11  :  "And  not  only  so, 
but  we  also  joy  in  God.  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom 
we  have  nmo  received  the  ato?ic?nent.:7  The  argument  here  is, 
that  if  it  was  received,  it  must  of  necessity  come  from  some  other 
quarter  than  a  man's  own  heart.  Mr.  Ballou  seems  to  imagine, 
that  a  work  of  #race  on  the  heart  of  a  man,  whereby  he  is 
brought  to  love  God,  is  the  atonement  itself ;  which,  were  it 
so,  would  make  every  man  who  loves  God  his  own  Saviour,  as 
love  has  its  beginnings  in  the  heart  of  the  very  individual  it  con- 
cerns.    But  if  it  is  said  a  man  loves  God,  in  the  true  and  evan- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  307 

gelical  sense  of  the  word,  on  account  of  the  benefits  of  Christ's 
death  for  all  mankind,  and  in  that  way  becomes  reconciled  to 
God,  it  shows  that  the  atonement  and  the  reconciliation  are  two 
in  their  origin  and  nature.  The  atonement,  therefore,  may- 
exist,  while  personal  reconciliation  may  not  exist. 

Mr.  Ballon  seems  to  think  that  because  Christ  has  all  power  in 
heaven  and  in  earth,  that  he  will  therefore,  arbitrarily  commence 
and  cany  on  in  all  human  souls,  the  work  of  love  to  God,  which 
when  effected  is  the  atonement.  But  St.  Paul  seems  very  clear- 
ly to  place  the  matter  as  ^optional  with  men,  whether  thGy  will 
or  will  not  receive  the  atonement ;  for  observe,  he  says,  as  above 
quoted,  "  by  whom  we  have  now  received/'  &c,  as  if  the  act  of 
receiving  it  when  they  did,  was  their  own  optional  act,  when 
favored  with  the  opportunity.  And  besides  this,  he  makes  it  a 
definite  thing,  and  speaks  of  it  in  the  singular  number,  by  say- 
ing the  atonement,  as  if  there  is  but  one  ;  when,  if  Mr.  Baliou's 
idea  is  the  true  one,  there  are  as  many  atonements  as  there  have 
been  Christians  since  the  world  began  ;  which  is  foolishness, 
and  overturns  the  atonement  made  for  the  sin  of  the  whole 
world  by  the  one  only  Mediator,  as  said  1st  John  ii.  2 :  "  And 
lie  is  the  propitiation  for  our  (the  then  believers)  sins,  and  not  for 
ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  This  estab- 
lishes the  fact,  that  the  death  of  Christ's  body  on  the  cross,  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  was  propitiatory,  or  expiatory  ; 
which  is  an  atonement  toward  God,  and  overturns  Mr.  Ballou's 
opinion,  that  the  atonement  is  a  process  in  a  mans  own  mind, 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  atonement  made  on  the  cross  by  Jesus 
Christ ;  an  idea  as  fatal  to  true  Christianity,  as  the  denial  of  the 
Saviour's  beiti™  altogether,  would  be,  or  that  of  his  miraculous 
birth,  which  Universalists  universally  deny. 

Respecting  temporal  death,  as  it  relates  to  the  human  race, 
Universalists  believe  it  to  be  according  to  the  order  of  nature,  and 
the  appointment  of  the  Creator ;  and  accordingly,  Adam  was 
made,  they  contend,  subject  to  death,  even  though  he  had  not 
sinned.  If  death  therefore,  was  by  the  original  appointment  of 
God,  bestowed  on  man,  it  should  be  considered  a  blessing,  as  all 
his  gifts  are  good, — yet  death  is  counted  as  an  enemy,  by  Uni- 
versalists— see  Mr.  Baliou's  Treatise  on  Atonement :  li  For  he 
(Christ)  must  reign  till  he  has  put  all  enemies  under  his  feet : 
The  last  enemy  that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death" — page  124. 
This  is  to  be  destroyed  by  the  resurrection  ;  to  which  we  do  not 
object :  but  that  death  was  by  the  will  and  appointment  of  God, 
is  what  we  do  object  to,  as  God  should  not  be  accused  of  putting 
enemies  among  his  own  works.  But  when  it  is  believed  that 
death  came  into  the  world,  on  account  of  the  sin  of  our  first  pa- 
rents, as  a  consequence  of  that  sin,  then  it  may  be  reckoned  as 
an  enemy,  leagued  with  sin  and  the  devil,  who  has  the  power  of 
death.     Now  if  death  is  counted  as  an  enemy  to  the  human 


368  HISTORY  OP  Tllll    FALLEN 

race,  and  God  is  its  cause  and  owner,  then  God  is  an  enemy  to 
his  own  works;  and  as  death  is  to  lie  destroyed,  with  him  who 
has  the  power,  or  is  the  cause  of  death,  we  are  brought  to  the 
awful  conclusion,  that  God  is  to  be  destroyed.  tiniversalists 
should  not  speak  of  temporal  death  as  an  enemy,  seeing  they 
believe  it  not  to  be  the  consequence  of  sin,  but  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  best  of  beings,  and  then  talk  about  it  as  an  enemy 
on  suth  ground;  for  the  Scriptures  certainly  instruct  us,  that 
death  and  its  cause  are  to  be  destroyed  as  a  last  enemy. 

rnivcrsalists  build  their  hopes  of  heaven  wholly  on  the  om- 
niscience and  goodness  of  God,  and  his  natural  love  to  his  oicn 
intellectual  offspring,  without  bringing  into  the  account,  any 
change  of  character,  which  possibly  might  take  place  in  the 
minds  of  such  offspring. 

We  show  that  they  believe  this,  from  Mr.  Balloirs  Treatise 
on  Atonement,  page  111,  as  follows  :  "  Gcd  being  infinite  in  all 
his  glorious  attributes,  he  can  by  no  means  love  at  one  time,  and 
hate  the  same  object  at  another.  His  divine  e'/nniscience  com- 
prehends all  events  of  time  and  eternity ;  therefore,  nothing  could 
take  place  to  remove  his  love  from  an  object  on  which  it  was 
placed.  The  Almighty  had  no  occasion  to  dislike  Adam,  after 
transgression,  anymore  than  he  had  even  before  he  made  him ; 
for  he  knew  as  well  then  that  he  would  sin,  as  he  did  after  it 
was  actually  done."  Mr.  Ballon  should  have  carried  his  idea  on 
this  subject,  a  little  further,  and  made  this  omniscience  prevent 
in  an  arbitrary  manner,  all  derelictions  of  his  creatures  ;  then 
there  could  have  been  no  sin ;  however,  he  has  another  idea, 
which  answers  the  same  purpose  ;  and  this  is:  that  the  sin  of 
Adam,  with  the  sins  of  all  mankind,  are  according  to  the  will, 
design,  and  decree  of  God,  and  comes  to  the  same  thing  ;  whicli 
is,  that  sin  is  not  sin — God  being  its  cause,  and  therefore,  there 
is  no  need  of  expiatory  atonement :  true  enough,  as  they,  and 
all  Deists  teach.  This  is  the  reason  Mr.  Ballou  says,  as  above 
quoted,  that  "God  had  no  occasion  to  dislike  Adam  after  trans- 
gression, any  more  than  he  had  even  before  he  made  him/'  In 
this  respect,  it  appears  that  God  had  not  as  much  liberty  as  his 
creatures ;  for  man  can  dislike  at  one  time  a  person,  which  may 
be  beloved  at  another,  on  the  ground  of  some  su pposed.  or  real 
change.  Now  we  admit  with  Mr.  Ballou,  that  God  is  unchang- 
able  in  all  his  attributes,  and  their  display  toward  his  creatures  ; 
hut  we  do  not  therefore,  see  why  he  should  always  love  the  same 
object,  if  that  object  change  its  character,  although  he  foreknew 
it  would  so  change.  Mow  Mr.  Ballou  admits  that  Adam's  char- 
acter was  changed,  by  means  of  the  earthly  part  of  his  nature, 
called  his  j)assions.  getting  the  upper  hand  of  the  heavenly  na- 
ture, which  lie  says  was  Christ,  who  was  created  in  him,  and  was 
called  by  Mr.  Ballou,  the  first  human  soul  which  was  created  : 
and  that  i:  the  powerful  vibrations  of  the  ileshy  nature,  absorbed 


A&OFA.&  op  tiii;  sci*rt»wnsa.  869 

his  mind,  he  (that  is.  the  heavenly  nature.  I  "In  1st,  as  w  under- 
stand  him)  sought  to  the  carnal  man  for  food  ate  and  died."' 
— page  37,  of  his  Treatise  mi  Atonement.  So  th.it  we  prove  by 
Mr.  Gallon's  own  words,  and  meaning,  that  Adam  became 
changed  in  Ins  character.  It  follows  therefore  of  necessity,  God 
being  ever  of  one  mind,  that  he  must  dislike  Adam  alter  his  sin, 
in  the  same  proportion  that  he  loved  him  before.  The  conse- 
quence is  inevitable,  and  cannot  be  avoided  in  but  one  way.  and 
that  is  on  the  supposition  that  God  ehanged  in  his  character* 
when  Adam  changed  in  his,  so  thai  he  kept  on  loving  trim  jtist 
the  same  after  his  sin.  as  he  did  before.  But  the  truth  is,  God  is 
ever  in  love  with  righteousness  and  holiness,  in  which,  he  has 
an  Unchangeable  mind  ;  from  which  it  is  seen  that  good  char- 
ar/rr  is  the  object  of  his  love,  and  therefore,  if  his  creatures 
change  their  characters,  he  of  necessity,  has  nothing  there  to 
love,  as  the  quality  which  he  loved  has  disappeared.  We  con- 
sider therefore,  this  hope  of  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world, 
just  no  hope  at  all  ;  for  as  surely  as  man  has  changed  his  char- 
acter, so  surely-— except  his  character  is  again  changed  to  that  of 
righteousness  and  true  holiness — Cod  must  continue  etill  to  dis- 
like the  unrighteous  character,  even  to  eternity. 

But  Mr.  Ballon  is  sure  that  sin  is  of  great  use  in  the  world,  on 
the  whole,  or  God  would  not  have  permitted  its  being,  and 
therefore  its  existence  should  not  be  brought,  by  this  author,  as 
evidence  of  a  sinful  change  of  character,  as  we  have  shown  he 
has  done,  on  page  37,  of  his  Treatise  on  Atonement — for  it  is 
impossible  for  any  one  to  show  that  Adam  was  really  changed 
in  his  moral  character,  and  at  the  same  time  show  that  he  was 
not.  Now  this  follows,  as  strange  as  it  is  ;  for  if  God  did  not 
look  upon  Adam  after  his  sin,  as  having  deviated  from  his  de- 
sign, then  he  could  not  look  upon  him  as  changed  in  his  char- 
acter, while  Mr.  Ballou  does — as  we  have  above  shown  lie  has 
i*i  his  work. 

Another  inconsistency  of  Iniversalists,  we  have  observed  in 
their  writings  on  religious  subjects,  and  this  is, — that  as  all  pow- 
er in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  given  to  Jesus  Christ,  he  will  there- 
fore, because  he  can,  save  all  mankind :  yet  we  are  told  by  Mr. 
Ballou,  in  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  page  35,  "  that  man  was 
created  in  Christ,  was  blessed  in  Christ,  and  in  Christ  set  over 
the  works  of  God's  hands  ;  which  he  calls  man's  heavenly  na- 
ture, and  the  image  of  God,  which  Ik;  had,  even  before  he  was 
formed  of  the  dust  of  the  earth  ;  this  image,  which  was  Christ, 
became  in  the  formed  part  of  man.  the  heavenly  nature^  which 
is  Christ,  who  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  in  earth  ;  yet  Mr. 
Ballou  tells  us,  on  page  37,  of  his  Treatise,  that  ':  the  powerful 
vibrations  of  the  flesh///  nature,  absorbed  his  mind — he  sought 
to  the  carnal  man  for  food,  and  died."  Thus  we  see  that  the 
fleshly  nature  of  man  was  vastly  stronger  than  the  heavenly 


nature,  which  was  Christ,  notwithstanding  Christ  has  all  power 
in  heaven  and  in  earth,  yet  the  fleshly  nature  of  Adam  was 
stronger  still.  But  as  we  understand  this  author,  we  cannot 
avoid  the  strange  conclusion,  that  this  Christ,  the  image  of  God, 
the  heavenly  nature,  was  killed  by  the  other  power  which  was 
in  Adam,  namely,  the  fleshly  nature,  and  of  this  we  are  certified 
by  Mr.  Ballou  himself,  on  pages  30  and  37  of  his  Treatise, 
which  he  calls  the  "  heavenly  stranger  within,  or  whatever  the 
reader."  he  says,  "  may  please  to  call  the  immortal  part  of  man  ;" 
but  that  this  immortal  part,  this  mind,  this  image  of  God,  which 
is  Christ — "  sought  to  the  carnal  man  for  food — ate  and  died." 
Consequently,  Christ  died  in  the  very  first  onset  with  the  devil, 
which  was  Adam's  lusts,  as  Universalists  hold  ;  and  yet  we  find 
him  alive,  and  in  the  year  of  the  world  4004,  making  atonement 
for  sin,  in  his  death  at  Jerusalem,  on  the  cross. 

Mr.  Ballou  considers  the  whole  account,  as  given  by  Moses, 
about  the  garden  of  Eden,  the  tree  of  knowledge,  the  tree  of  life, 
the  serpent,  and  Adam  and  Eve's  trial,  as  wholly  figurative,  by 
way  of  allegory,  and  further  remarks  :  "  Should  it  be  said  that 
this  garden  was  a  literal  garden,  that  the  tree  of  life  was  a  literal 
tree,  and  that  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  was  also 
literal,  I  should  be  glad,''  says  he,  "  to  be  informed,  what  evi- 
dence can  be  adduced  in  support  of  such  an  idea  ;" — and  adds  : 
«  Where  is  the  garden  now  ?  Where  is  the  tree  of  life  now  ? 
Where  is  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  now  7"  &c. 

u  I  should  be  glad  to  be  informed,  what  evidence  can  be  ad- 
duced in  support  of  such  an  idea,"  namely,  of  there  having  been 
a  literal  garden,  &c.  To  this  it  is  responded,  that  the  Bible  is  the 
evidence ;  read  the  book  of  Genesis,  the  first  three  chapters  on 
those  subjects,  which  makes  it  plain  enough  ;  as  well  as  a  mul- 
titude of  allusions  to  the  same  thing,  in  many  parts  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, besides  the  comments  of  the  Jewish  Rabbins  in  the  bar- 
gain, to  that  effect.  If  the  Bible  is  no  evidence  in  point,  then 
very  truly,  we  shall  have  to  give  it  up  ;  and  if  the  opinion  of  the 
Jews,  as  well  as  Christian  commentators,  in  the  first  ages  of 
Christianity,  on  that  subject,  incidentally  treated  on,  with  others, 
is  no  evicence,  as  collateral,  why  then  truly,  we  shall  have  to 
give  it  up,  but  not  till  then. 

As  to  the  other  query  :  "  Where  is  the  garden  now,;'  <fcc,  we 
answer,  it  is  no  where  ;  as  its  situation  was  destroyed,  in  all 
probability,  by  the  waters  of  the  great  Deluge.  Mr.  Ballou 
might  as  well  have  enquired,  where  the  cities,  and  towns,  and 
dwellings  of  man  before  the  flood  are,  when  he  knows  as  well 
as  other  men  of  general  information,  that  all  these  things  were 
destroyed  by  the  flood,  and  doubtless,  the  entire  face  of  the  earth 
was  greatly  altered—the  site  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  with  the 
rest,  is  not  hard  to  be  imagined,  was  also  destroyed. 


ANGELS  OV  THE  acUIVTUHES.  371 

But  the  climax  of  error  among  tliis  people,  is  seen  respecting 
the  condition  in  which  they  say  God  created  man  ;  and  that  is,  in 
his  having  had  two  natures,  which  were  opposed  to  each  other. 
One  nature,  the  best  writers  among  this  people  say,  consisted  in 
the  immortal,  pure,  and  heavenly  mind,  or  soul  of  the  man, 
which  was  in  Christ;  the  other  nature  was  the  serpent,  or  car- 
nal mind,  with  all  the  fleshly  passions  or  lusts.  Now,  these  two 
natures,  as  soon  as  they  were  brought  together,  which  consti- 
tuted the  entire  being  called  man,  were  found  instantly  to  wage 
war  with  each  other  ;  the  spirit  of  truth,  or  heavenly  part,  lust- 
ing against  the  fleshly  nature,  and  the  fleshly  nature  lusting 
against  the  spirit  of  truth.  But  there  having  been  apreponde- 
rency  given  by  the  Creator  to  the  power  and  force  of  the  fleshly 
nature,  it  overcame,  with  great  ease,  the  other  power,  or  heaven- 
ly nature  of  the  soul,  so  that  man,  in  this  way,  committed  sin, 
the  very  thing  which  God  wanted  he  should  do.  How  much 
honor  does  such  an  idea  bring  to  the  Creator,  in  establishing  the 
wisdom  of  God  in  the  sight  of  reasonable  beings. 

On  this  view  of  the  thing,  it  is  impossible  to  make  out  the  ex- 
istence of  moral  evil,  viewed  as  a  whole,  or  as  affecting  human 
society  individually,  in  parts  ;  because  that  which  is  absolutely 
good,  when  viewed  as  a  great  whole  by  the  Supreme  Being 
must  be  viewed  also  as  good  when  subdivided  into  parts  ;  there- 
fore God  sees  no  sin  in  the  universe. 

Universalists  make  a  very  free  use  of  the  circumstance  of  the 
treachery  of  Joseph's  brethren,  in  their  selling  him  to  the  Ish- 
maelites,  because  Joseph  said  to  them  after  they  had  found  him 
in  Egypt,  and  he  had  discovered  himself  to  them,  and  their 
father  being  dead,  that  they  meant  it  for  evil,  wThile  God  meant 
it  unto  good,  and  therefore  they  might  be  comforted,  and  fear 
nothing  from  him  (Joseph)  on  that  account.  The  free  use  these 
people  make  of  this  circumstance,  is  that  sin  is  necessary  in  the 
providence  of  God  ;  for,  say  they,  if  Joseph's  brethren  had  not 
meant  the  selling  of  their  brother  for  evil,  God  could  not  have 
meant  it  for  good  ;  as  he  would  have  lost  the  opportunity  to 
save  the  house  of  Israel  from  death  by  starvation.  But  we  askr 
how  do  Universalists  avoid  in  this  case,  from  their  view  of  the 
subject,  charging  God  with  prompting  in  the  minds  of  Joseph's 
brethren,  the  evil  which  they  meant  in  selling  their  brother  ? 
If  this  conclusion  cannot  be  avoided,  namely,  that  God  was  the 
author  of  their  evil  intentions,  and  accordingly  of  all  other  men's 
evil  intentions  when  they  sin,  as  Universalists  view  the  subject,, 
wherein  did  thoso  brethren  of  Joseph's  do  wrong,  notwithstand- 
ing they  meant  it  as  evil,  when  we  recollect  that  God  prompted 
in  their  hearts  that  very  evil,  and  therefore  it  was  his  evil  inten- 
tion and  not  theirs,  as  that  which  God  is  the  author  of  should 
never  he  accredited  to  man  ? 

Are  wc  to  suppose  that  the  villainous  net  of  Joseph's  brethren 


372  history  of  the  fallen 

was  the  out)/  way  by  which  the  Divine  Being  could  have  saved 
the  house  of  Israel  from  starvation,  and  furthered  his  plans  res- 
pecting the  posterity  of  Jacob  /  We  think  not;  as  God  cannot 
be  indebted  to  sin  or  evil  of  any  land,  to  further  his  plans,  His 
foreknowledge  of  their  act,  did  not  induce  the  act ;  but  as  the 
thing  was  foreseen  of  the  Divine  mind  to  arise  out  of  their  own 
free  volition,  lie  determined  to  subvert  their  purpose,  and  by 
virtue  of  suck  subvertion,  he  determined  to  effect  much  good, 
but  not  by  virtue  of  their  evil  intention.  God  is  able  to  take  a 
local  sin  and  subvert  the  intention  of  its  author,  and  produce  a 
local  good,  as  in  the  case  of  Joseph's  brethren,  and  in  thousands 
of  other  cases  ;  but  when  this  fact  is  applied  to  the  great  whole 
of  the  human  race,  it  fails,  as  we  are  not  able  to  perceive  how 
sin  as  a  great  whole  is  of  any  possible  use  to  the  world,  in  any 
possible  way  it  can  be  viewed.  If  it  be  said  that  by  it  the 
Divine  Being  derives  opportunity  to  bring  in  a  system  of  redemp- 
tion and  salvation,  with  all  the  glories  of  such  a  system,  we  reply 
that  we  do  not  yet  perceive  its  use,  as  applicable  to  the  great  whole, 
when  we  reflect  that  God  could  as  easily  have  produced  man  in 
a  condition  from  which  he  could  not  have  apostatized,  by  ha- 
ving withheld  free  agency ;  and  could  as  easily  have  kept  the 
whole  human  race  in  a  sinless  state  in  this  way,  as  he  could 
redeem  them  to  an  opportunity  of  holiness  again.  Now,  on  this 
view,  what  is  gained  viewed  as  a  great  whole  ?  Just  nothing  at 
all,  as  we  can  sec  ;  for  if  God  might  be  supposed  to  desire  that 
his  intellectual  creatures  should  know  how  great  evils  they  were 
exposed  to,  except  Upheld  by  his  power,  nothing  could  have  been 
easier  than  for  the  Divine  Beirig  to  have  empowered  them  with 
intuitive  knowledge,  sufficient  for  a  review  of  all  such  supposa- 
ble  cases  of  evil,  and  thus  have  saved  the  great  routine  of  sin 
and  redemption,  as  has  transpired  in  our  world.  On  this  view, 
that  which  mortals  call  sin  among  themselves,  is  found  to  be  no 
sin,  as  it  was  according  to  the  will  of  God  that  it  should  exist, 
and  therefore  is  as  holy  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word  as  any 
thing  else  which  God  has  thought  best  to  produce  to  carry  on 
his  plans.  Now  if  this  be  so,  which  is  the  doctrine  Universalist 
writers  maintain  as  we  understand  them,  then,  true  enough,  the 
atonement  is  ruined,  and  it  is  very  proper  to  deny,  as  these 
writers  do,  an  expiatory  atonement  by  Jesus  Christ,  as  held  by 
the  orthodox  sects  ;  and  also  extends  itself  to  the  ruin  of  even 
their  own  plan  of  atonement,  which  is,  that  atonement  is  nothing 
more  than  &  renewal  of  AoVe  to  ( Jodin  the  heart;  which  they  think 
is  effected  without  an  expiat&y  sacrifice  ;  but  in  what  way,  or 
on  what  account  they  do  not  tell  us.  But  how,  it  is  likely  a 
Universalist  might  enquire,  is  it  that  their  peculiar  view  of 
atonement  is  also  ruined,  even  supposing  all  the  volitions  and 
evil  intentions  of  men  are  prompted  by  the  Divine  Being?  It  is 
l>ccause  if  would  be  impious  and  foolish  to  suppose  that  God 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTUItB*. 


373 


is  any  thing  in  such  a  manner  as  to  need  an  atonement,  or  a 
corrector  thrown  into  his  works.  It  would  be  the  height  of 
nonsense  to  suppose  that  God  balances  things  in  such  a  manlier 
as  that  his  works  are  prone  to  run  to  ruin,  and  therefore,  is 
every  now  and  then  compelled  to  throw  in  a  corrector.  If 
therefore,  at  any  time,  it  is  imagined  that  men  do  not  love  God, 
let  it  be  recollected  that  this  is"a  mistake— according  to  Univer- 
salists;  as  those  actions,  which  are  supposed  as  evidence,  that 
men  do  not  love  God,  are  the  very  actions  which  the  Divine 
Being  has  his  own  use  for,  and  it  ill  becomes  any  man  to  find 
fault  wild  his  business.  To  talk  therefore,  about  what  Univer- 
salists  call  atone?nent}  or  a  process  of  love  to  God,  passing  in  the 
heart,  is  as  idle  as  to  say  the  passing  of  the  winds  through  the 
empty  space  is  atonement,  when  it  is  all  as  it  should  be,  respect- 
ing human  actions,  and  is  impossible  for  any  thing  to  be  other- 
wise. Mr.  Ballon  says,  on  page  68  of  his  Treatise  on  Atone- 
ment— "  that  man  is  dependent  in  all  his  volitions,  and  moves 
by  necessity"  and  that  "the  Almighty  has  a  good  intention  in 
every  volition  of  man." 

What  more  need  we,  in  evidence  that  sin  does  not  exist,  if  the 
sentiments  above  are  true?  Man  moves  by  necessity ;  how  then 
can  he  help  it  ?  And  whatever  he  does,  is  the  good  intention  of 
God ;  therefore  all  man's  acts,  are  God's  acts :  how  then  does  sin 
exist  ?  Where  is  the  room,  or  need  of  atonement  of  any  kind  1 
Universalism,  is  therefore  Deism  ;  as  on  the  seale  of  Deism,  no 
atonement,  or  divine  revelation,  is  necessary,  as  God's  works  are 
not  out  of  order,  and  never  can  be,  whether  moral  or  physical. 
That  God's  own  proper  works  are  out  of  order,  we  do  not  be- 
lieve, but  the  free  volitions  of  intellectual  beings  are  not  God's 
own  proper  works,  but  are  the  works  of  his  creatures,  or  moral 
evil  does  not  exist.  If  it  is  enquired,  who  is  the  author  of  free 
will,  or  free  agency, — it  is  answered,  God  is  the  author.  But 
must  it  follow  therefore,  that  he  is  the  author  of  its  misuse,  or 
abuse?  By  no  means  ! — for  the  very  idea  of  free  agency,  pre- 
cludes such  a  notion.  But  if  free  agency  is  a  mere  chimera, 
then  is  there  no  free  volition,  and  man  acts  from  necessity,  and 
therefore  cannot  sin ;  and  even  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  God  to 
make  him  commit  sin,  for  every  act  of  necessity  is  the  act  of 
God,  who  cannot  sin;  therefore  sin  does  not  exist,  and  never 
can,  as  God  is  good,  just  and  wrise.  A  system  of  salvation, 
therefore,  as  we  have  often  before  said  in  this  work,  is  not  need- 
ed, and  therefore,  is  not  extant,  on  the  Universalist  plan  :  Chris- 
tianity is  bin  ;\  system  of  philosophy ;  and  though  the  best  ever 
introduced  among  men,  has  nothing  however,  in  it  that  can  be 
considered  supernatural,  any  more  than  other  systems,  which 
are  the  invention  of  men. 

That  Mr.  Ballou  does  not  hesitate  to  wrest  the  Scriptures  to 
his  own  particular  purpose  of  unconditional  salvation,  we  show 

27 


3?i  HISTORY   OF  THE    FALLEN 

from  page  1S3,  of  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  where  he  quotes 
a  small  part  of  an  idea,  of  which  St.  Paul  was  the  author  ;  see 
2d  Thess.  i.  7,  S,  9  :  "  And  to  you  who  are  troubled,  rest  with 
ns,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven,  with  his 
mighty  angels,  in  flaming  lire,  taking  vengeance,"  &c.  There, 
Mr.  Ballou  stops  the  quotation,  and  leaving  out  the  whole 
phraseology  of  the  Scripture,  in  the  8th  verse,  which  goes  to 
show  tcho  and  what  it  is  that  is  to  be  destroyed,  and  substitutes 
his  own  remarks  on  the  7th  verse,  and  on  that  part  of  the  8th 
which  does  not  respect  the  final  meaning  and  amount  of  the 
whole  three  verses.  He  leaves  off  his  quotation  as  shown  above, 
at  the  word  vengeance,  and  resumes  it  again  after  skipping,  as 
follows:  "On  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gos- 
pel of  mir  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  which  he  should  not  have  done  : 
but  the  reader  can  unite  the  part  which  he  has  left  out,  and 
ascertain  that  it  is  the  very  soul  of  the  three  verses.  But  he 
resumes  the  quotation,  and  gives  the  whole  of  the  next  verse,  as 
follows  :  "  Who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power.77 
Now  the  great  enquiry  in  these  three  verses,  is  to  ascertain  what 
or  who  it  is,  which  is  threatened  with  everlasting  destruction. 
To  ascertain  this,  Mr.  Ballou  says  he  calls  in  his  key  text ; 
which  is  found  1st  Cor.  iii.  12,  13, 14,  15 — where  it  is  shown 
that  it  is  the  hay,  wood,  and  stubble,  which  is  to  be  destroyed  by 
the  flaming  fire,  with  an  everlasting  destruction,  &c;  or  in  othcT 
words,  his  view  is,  that  men's  sins,  which  he  seems  to  think,  is 
represented  by  the  terms,  "  hay,  wood,  and  stubble."  But  Mr. 
Ballou  has  been  a  little  too  fast  here,  with  his  key  text,  in  sup- 
posing the  hay,  wood,  and  stubble,  is  what  is  meant  in  the  other 
text,  namely,  the  7th,  Sth,  and  9th  of  2d  Thess.,  because  the  key 
text,  as  he  calls  it,  does  not  say  that  the  hay,  wood,  and  stubble, 
shall  certainly  be  burnt  or  destroyed,  but  merely  makes  it  suppo- 
sable,  as  follows :  "If  any  man's  work  shall  be  burned,  (see,  it  says 
if,)he  shall  sufTer  loss,"  &c,  so  that  it  is  very  far  from  being  abso- 
lute. While  the  other  subjects  of  denunciation,  in  2d  Thess.  i. 
7,  8,  9,  is  absolute,  and  personal ;  see  how  it  reads, — i:  taking 
vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;"  all  of  which,  from  the  word  ven- 
geance, Mr.  Ballou  left  entirely  out,  thinking  thereby,  to  lead 
the  reader's  mind  to  a  belief,  that  it  is  men's  sins,  or  their  hay, 
wood,  and  stubble,  which  is  thus  to  be  everlastingly  destroyed, 
and  not  the  wicked  persons  themselves.  But  the  spirit  of  inspi- 
ration has  been  a  little  too  particular,  to  answer  Universalists  a 
good  purpose,  in  this  portion  of  Scripture,  namely,  2d  Thess.,  for 
it  is  written  there, — the  Lord  Jesus,  when  he  shall  be  revealed 
from  heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  will  take  vengeance  on 
—  who  —  hay,  wood,  and  stubble,  or  sin  itself?  No,  not  at  all ; 
but  on  them  (}>erso7is  or  sinners)  that  know  not  God,  and  obey 


ANGELS  OF  THE   SCRIPTURE*.  375 

not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  (persons  or  sin- 
ners) shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction,  &c.  Now 
hay,  wood,  and  stubble,  or  sin,  if  you  please,  are  not  subjects  of 
moral  government — are  not  beings,  and  cannot  therefore,  be 
supposed  capable  of  obeying  or  disobeying  the  gospel ;  and 
besides  this,  sin  has  no  being,  only  as  originated  by  a  conscious 
thinking  being,  and  therefore,  cannot  be  punished.  It  is  not 
sin  which  feels  the  pain  of  a  troubled  conscience,  as  sin  has  no 
conscience :  it  is  not  the  oath  which  the  profane  has  uttered, 
which  feels  guilty,  but  the  author  of  the  oath,  the  perpetrator 
of  the  sin  ;  he  it  is  who  feels  a  conscious  guilt,  and  is  him  who 
is  capable  of  being  thus  everlastingly  destroyed,  according  to  the 
sense  of  the  text.  It  is  the  unrepenting  wicked  who  are  to  be 
destroyed,  and  not  their  sin  as  distinguished  from  the  author. 

Mr.  Ballou  says  on  this  subject :  "  That  which  is  destroyed,  I 
grant,  is  endlessly  destroyed."  Now  do  we  not  clearly  show,  as 
above,  that  it  is  the  sinner,  and  not  his  sins,  which  are  to  be  pun- 
ished with  an  everlasting  destruction :  consequently,  Mr.  Ballou 
himself,  has  unwittingly  admitted  the  endless  death,  or  destruc- 
tion of  the  wicked,  at  the  time  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  thus 
revealed.  But  still  more  curious  on  this  subject,  Mr.  Ballou  has 
turned  the  vengeance  of  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead  into  sal- 
vation to  the  sinner,  and  says  the  me  which  the  Lord  Jesus  shall 
be  revealed  in  from  heaven,  taking  vengeance  on  them  who 
know  not  God,  is  the  fire  '-which  alone  is  able  to  effect  his  sal- 
vation," Page  1S3,  Treatise  on  Atonement — near  the  bottom  of 
the  page.  Now  if  this  is  the  fire  which  is  to  save  the  sinner, 
what  is  to  become  of  the  righteous,  who  are  not  threatened  with 
it  ?  Surely,  they  are  to  have  a  hard  lot ;  as  they  are  to  be  de- 
prived of  this  everlasting  destruction  salvation.  If  this  is  not 
subverting  and  wresting  Scripture,  we  know  not  what  is  ? 

Mr.  Ballou  says,  that  "The  literal  death  of  the  man  Christ 
Jesus,  is  figurative ;  and  all  the  life  we  obtain  by  it,  is  by  learn- 
ing what  is  represented:' — Treatise  on  Atonement,  page  131. 
Now  if  all  the  benefit  of  Christ's  death,  to  the  human  race,  is  to 
depend  on  their  knowledge  of  its  figurative  meaning,  there  are 
but  few  who  will  be  benefitted  or  saved  by  it ;  what  then  is  to 
become  of  the  rest  ?  Just  nothing  at  all,  as  their  end  is  to  be 
precisely  the  same. 

We  have  always  supposed  that  the  ceremonial  law  of  the 
Jewish  Church  was  figurative  of  Clirist's  death  and  passion  on 
the  cross,  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  but  did  not  know  that  Christ's 
death  was  also  a  figure  ;  by  which,  if  true,  there  is  shown  noth- 
ing but  figure  from  Genesis  to  Revelation.  A  figurative  church, 
as  of  the  Jews,  a  figurative  atonement,  and  a  figurative  salva- 
tion :  much  £ood  may  it  do  its  figurative  supporters ;  it  were 
much  better  for  the  world  were  there  less  such  figuring  writers 
on  theology  ;  there  would  be  fewer  deists. 


376  HISTORY  OF    THE    FALLEN 

Mr.  Ballou,  in  showing  the  use  God  had  for  the  wicked  mur- 
derers of  Jesus  Christ,  says  in  conclusion:  "Then  it  is  plain. 
that  to  do  evil  that  good  may  come  is  possible:1  But  St.  Paul 
was  of  a  different  opinion,  when  he  says,  "  shall  we  continue  in 
sin  that  grace  may  abound?  God  forbid.'7  Romans,  vi.  12. 
Or  in  other  words,  shall  we  do  evil  that  good  may  come  by  it  ? 
God  forbid.  But  if  there  shall  ever  come  a  time  when  all  men 
will  believe  that  God  has  a  use  for  the  sins  of  each  individual,  as 
well  as  for  his  righteous  acts,  that  will  be  the  time  when  con- 
science will  cease  to  have  a  being  in  the  human  soul ;  that  will 
be  the  time  when  moral  government  can  have  no  application  to 
the  human  race ;  and  that  will  be  the  time  when  the  doctrines 
of  Universalist  theology  shall  be  thoroughly  understood  and  be- 
lieved in  the  world  *,  for  how  is  it  possibfe  for  the  wicked  to  feel 
guilty  for  deeds  done,  if  they  can  but  believe  such  deeds  are 
required  by  the  Creator,  for  his  own  purposes?  and  establishes 
that  which  we  have  in  several  parts  of  this  work  already  said. 
namely,  that  on  the  Universalist  plan,  there  is,  nor  never  has 
been,  sin,  or  moral  evil  in  the  world ;  and  consequently  Chris- 
tianity is  dwindled  down  to  a  mere  moral  philosophy. 

One  of  the  main  points  of  Universalist  doctrine  is,  that  salva- 
tion to  the  human  race  is  altogether  an  unconditional  thing. 
God,  they  say,  has  in  his  wisdom  made  the  salvation  of  our  race 
to  depend,  not  on  the  instability  of  human  volition,  but  on  his 
goodness  and  power  ;  on  which  account,  salvation  is  of  necessity 
to  be  universal  and  particular,  as  we  are  all  the  creatures  of  his 
power,  and  consequently  of  his  unalterable  and  unconditional 
love. 

Again,  Universalists  tell  us,that  the  salvation  of  the  Scriptures 
has  nothing  to  do  with  eternity,  but  is  wholly  confined  to  this 
life ;  as  man's  happy  immortality  after  death  was  never  other- 
wise than  indubitably  certain,  not  being  liable  to  be  effected  by 
the  thoughts  or  actions  of  the  human  soul  in  this  present  state 
of  being,  and  was  therefore  not  procured  by  Jesus  Christ,  in  any 
sense  of  the  word.  If  then  salvation  to  the  human  race  is  not 
conditional,  how  comes  it  to  pass,  that  even  on  the  Universalist 
notion  of  the  thing,  there  are  but  few  who  are  saved,  even  here, 
as  most  men  are  wicked,  and  far  enough,  even  from  a  Univer- 
salist's  salvation?  We  ask  again,  what  does  this  mean?  How  is 
this  possible?  Why  are  not  all  human  beings  in  a  state  of  sal- 
vation, seeing  it  is  not  a  conditional  thing,  as  Universalists  say  ? 
To  this  we  suppose  they  will  answer,  it  is  because  men  do  not 
consider  their  ways,  and  seek  after  righteousness :  or  as  Mr. 
Ballou  calls  it,  they  do  not  seek  to  have  a  divine  process  pass  in 
the  heart,  so  as  thereby  to  be  saved  by  it.  Now.  if  this  is  the 
answer,  namely,  that  men  do  not  seek  to  have  this  divine  pro- 
cess pass  upon  their  hearts,  then  is  not  this  omission  the  reason 
why  they  are  not  now  saved  ?     Most  certainly,  this  is  the  rea- 


A.NGELI  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  '.\7  7 

son.  If  then  this  is  the  reason,  is  not  salvation  therefore  condi- 
tional to  all  intents  and  purposes,  inasmuch  as  it  is  to  be  sought 
in  order  to  be  possessed?  Universalists  know  as  well  as  their 
opponents,  that  many  men  neglect  religion  altogether,  and  pass 
their  whole  lives  in  an  utter  aversion  to  it,  and  even  die  in  this 
condition.  Now,  on  their  own  view  of  the  subject,  such  persons 
were  never  saved  in  their  lifetime.  And  why  were  they  not? 
This  cannot  be  answered  except  in  one  way:  it  was  because 
God  did  not  see  fit  to  save  them,  as  he  had  need  of  their  sins, 
with  the  view  of  the  good  of  the  great  whole  of  the  human  race. 
If  so,  then  their  salvation  was  impossible. 

In  our  remarks  on  the  fact  of  salvation,  as  opposed  to  the 
Universalists'  ideas,  we  disallow  entirely  that  the  circumstance 
of  the  inevitable  happiness  of  the  human  race  in  another  world, 
as  held  by  this  people,  is  sal  cation  at  all;  for  salvation  always 
supposes  a  rescue  from  danger ;  and  as  these  people  hold  it  is 
not  possible  to  put  eternal  happiness  in  jeopardy,  as  it  respects 
all  the  human  race,  it  is  improper,  therefore,  to  say  that  a  place 
or  admittance  into  heaven,  is  salvation  at  all.  It  would  be 
highly  improper  to  say  that  God  is  saved  ;  because  he  is  happy, 
and  cannot  be  otherwise  than  happy ;  and  it  is  equally  improper 
and  foolish,  to  talk  about  salvation,  as  it  respects  the  human  race, 
if  their  final  happy  condition  after  this  life  is  as  sure  as  the  hap- 
piness of  God  is  sure.  Salvation,  on  this  view,  has  no  applica- 
tion to  onr  case,  no  more  than  it  has  to  God.  If  then  the  term, 
and  the  fact,  are  to  be  confined  to  this  present  state  of  things, 
we  enquire,  is  it  or  is  it  not  conditioned  ?  I  niversalists  will  an- 
swer, as  we  fancy  they  are  compelled  to  answer,  that  it  is  condi- 
tional, inasmuch  as  it  is  to  be  sought,  or  not  had.  Now  as  it  is 
certain  that  many  are  never  saved  in  this  life,  even  as  they  view 
the  thing,  and  pa^s  out  of  time  unsaved,  it  follows  of  necessity, 
that  salvation  is  not  unconditional  nor  universal,  as  Univer- 
salists  boast  and  vainly  hope.  If  it  is  unconditional  we  ask 
with  great  surprise,  why  are  not  all  bad  men  made  g^ood  instant- 
ly, as  God  is  good  and  powerful? — and  why  have  not  all  men 
been  good  in  all  ages,  and  from  the  very  beginning,  for  the  same 
reason?  We  cannot  tell,  except  we  give  the  I  niversalists'  rea- 
son, and  this  is  it,  namely,  that  God  has  a  i/sc  for  every  volition 
of  man,  good  or  bad,  as  we  have  shown  already  from  Mr.  Bal- 
lou's  Treatise  on  Atonement.  Now.  if  God  has  a  use  for  every 
volition  of  man,  whether  sinful  or  not,  it  follows  that  there  is  no 
sin.  and  that  the  term  salvation  from .sin  is  wholly  inapplicable 
to  the  human  race,  even  in  this  state  of  being;  and  therefore, 
there  is  no  salvation  anywhere  ;  the  term  is  a  burlesque  on  the 
works  of  God,  implying  thai  he  has  need  of  something  by  way 
of  repair;  which  is  folly,  and  cannot  be  admitted  in  relation  to 
the  proper  and  identical  works  of  God.  Now,  this  is  pure 
Deism,  a  name  which  Universalists  affect  to  despise,  and  con- 


378  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

sider  as  derogatory  to  them  as  a  sect ;  while  in  truth  and  in  fact 
they  are  pure  and  radical  deists  in  these  respects,  whether  they 
know  it  or  not.  Deists  are  willing  to  admit,  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  good  teacher,  and  even  a  great  philosopher,  but  nothing 
more;  and  Universalists  say  the  same  thing,  giving  him  the 
place  of  a  mere  man,  and  denying  the  vicarious  nature  of  his 
death  on  the  cross,  and  his  deity:  what  else  is  this  but  Deism? 
and  is  not  Deism  infidelity  ? 

Universalists,  as  a  people,  lay  great  stress  on  the  mercifulness 
of  God  to  mankind,  in  relation  to  salvation ;  yet  by  consequence 
of  their  sentiments,  deny  this  very  mercifulness.  But  how  do 
they  deny  it?  As  follows,  is  our  answer:  they  teach  that  with 
God  there  is  no  pardon  for  sin,  inasmuch  as  every  man  rnnst 
suffer  to  the  full  extent  of  the  demerit  of  his  actions  in  this  life. 
Now,  on  this  view,  where  is  the  room  for  mercy  to  enter  ?  Is 
it  not  excluded  ?  It  is  true,  however,  as  a  kind  of  palliation  to  so 
monstrous  a  notion,  they  say  God  forgives  men  their  sins  after 
they  have  suffered  for  them ;  a  thing  as  impossible  as  it  is  foolish. 
Just  look  at  the  idea  for  a  moment :  say  a  man  has  committed  a 
sin,  for  which  he  suffers,  or  is  suffering.  Now  when  the  suffer- 
ing is  over,  what  more  ?  Why  pardon  follows,  say  they.  But 
suppose  pardon  should  not  follow,  will  he  suffer  on?  O  no  ! 
because  that  would  be  unjust  in  God.  By  this  we  see  that  par- 
don, after  suffering,  is  of  no  possible  use,  and  therefore,  is  not 
called  for,  and  is  worse  than  a  chimera ;  because  it  shows  up 
this  all  important  trait  of  Christian  theology  in  a  light  which  is 
tantamount  to  a  flat  denial. 

Even  Mr.  Ballou  has  scouted  this  notion  of  forgiveness  after 
suffering  has  been  executed;  see  Treatise  on  Atonement,  p.  79, 
where,  in  ridiculing  the  common  belief  of  sins  being  forgiven  to 
men  on  account  of  the  atonement :  "But  how  (says  he)  can  I 
forgive  a  man  a  debt,  and  (yet)  oblige  him  to  pay  it  ?  this  is  more 
than  I  can  see."  But  on  this  subject,  that  of  the  atonement, 
Universalists  will  not  see,  that  all  it  can  do  is  to  make  it  possible 
for  God  to  pardon  sinners,  on  condition  of  faith,  repentance,  and 
reformation.  Without  this  atonement,  we  cannot  have  even 
this  opportunity  of  salvation.  If  all  the  blessings  of  nature  are 
extended  to  man  on  condition  of  acceptance  and  use,  why  not 
that  of  salvation,  under  the  administration  of  the  same  God  or 
governor  of  the  Universe. 

To  suffer  according  to  the  demerit  of  sin,  is  not  salvation ; 
but  pardon  on  the  account  of  the  merit  of  Jesus  Christ  is  salva- 
tion ;  if  pardon,  therefore,  be  rejected  as  a  Scriptural  doctrine, 
then  salvation  is  not  possible  to  any  individual  of  the  human 
race,  as  it  is  not  applicable  to  their  condition,  being  of  no  possi- 
ble use,  any  more  than  salvation  can  be  of  use  to  that  which 
cannot  be  lost. 

Universalists,  when  pressed  hard  to  make  known  the  use  of 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  379 

their  preaching;  give  for  answer,  that  it  is  to  save  the  people 
from  the  fear  of  hell  in  another  world.  Were  they  to  answer, 
that  it  is  to  make  the  morals  of  the  people  better,  this  is  refuted 
by  their  belief  that  God  has  a  use  for  every  evil  volition  of  mans 
mind,  and  therefore  are  not  called  to  better  the  works  of  God  by 
reforming  the  morals  of  the  human  race.  That  God  has  a  use 
for  every  volition  of  the  human  heart,  is  similar  to  an  opinion 
of  one  of  the  ancient  Gnostic  sects;  which  was,  that  to  indulge 
all  the  propensities  of  our  nature  was  the  only  true  way  to  please 
the  deity ;  for  they  argued,  that  for  this  purpose  the  passions 
were  given. 

But  as  to  the  use  of  I  niversalist  preaching,  as  above  stated, 
which  is.  namely,  to  save  the  people  from  the  fear  of  an  ortho- 
dox hell,  this  answer  is  surely  iinphilosophic  ;  because,  were  all 
people  to  become  Universal ists,  their  preaching  would  be  at  an 
end,  as  there  could  be  no  further  use  for  it.  It  is  unphilosophic 
also,  from  another  consideration;  which  is,  that  the  more  man- 
kind are  led  to  fear  and  tremble  respecting  their  future  happi- 
ness, the  greater  will  be  their  surprise  on  being  ushered  from 
this  state  into  a  glorious  heaven.  Now,  inasmuch  as  Univer- 
salists  go  about  to  take  awav  this  fear,  they  go  about  to  lessen 
the  future  happiness  of  a  future  state ;  surely  this  is  a  work  of 
retrogade  supererogation,  as  strange  as  it  is  erroneous.  Were 
this  fear  destroyed  from  the  minds  of  the  individuals  of  Chris- 
tendom, what  might  not  be  the  demoralizing  consequence? 
Where  there  is  no  fear  there  is  no  reverence ;  and  where  there 
is  no  reverence  in  morals  there  is  no  religious  virtue;  conse- 
quently no  spiritual  religion  :  hence  Universalists  do  not  believe 
in  spiritual,  mysterious,  and  miraculous  conversions,  as  do  the 
orthodox  sects ;  which  doctrine  is  taught  by  the  Saviour  him- 
self; in  his  account  of  that  change  as  given  to  one  of  the  elders 
of  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim,  see  John,  iii.  3:  "Except  a  man  be 
born  of  water  and  of  the  spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  God." 

Now,  were  the  countries  of  Christendom  inhabited  by  a  peo- 
ple who  should  not  fear  this  hell  of  the  Scriptures,  as  believed 
in  by  the  orthodox  sects,  how  long  would  it  be  ere  they  would 
in  fact  know  or  care  any  thing  about  Jesus  Christ,  so  long  as 
they  should  know  that  there  is  no  hell  in  another  world !  We 
think  it  would  be  no  great  lapse  of  time.  What  a  happy  state 
of  things  this  would  be ;  how  men  would  rejoice  in  God,  on 
account  of  his  goodness  and  lenity  to  their  crimes  and  sins ; 
how  amazingly  would  this  belief  restrain  the  outbreakings  of 
depraved  nature;  it  would  soon  be  a  universal  paradise  here 
below,  on  account  of  the  free  unrestrained  operations  of  the  ever 
active  spirit  of  man  let  loose  in  all  its  powers,  on  the  face  of  the 
earth;  which  spirit  is  inclined  to  do  evil,  and  that  continually, 
according  to  the  Scripture  account  of  our  natures. 


380  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

The  Scriptures  teach,  that  men  should  pray  always,  and  in 
every  thing  give  thanks  to  God :  do  Universalists,  as  a  people, 
believe  and  practice  this?  We  believe  not;  as  on  their  view  of 
religion,  there  can  be  no  possible  use  for  it:  for,  say  they,  who 
can  alter  the  mind  of  God,  or  inform  him  of  anything  by  pray- 
ing— not  seeming  to  know  that  prayer  was  ordained  for  the 
spiritual  cultivation  of  the  human  soul,  and  is  the  very  reason 
why  God  will  not  bestow  religious  blessings,  except  he  be  sought 
unto  in  this  very  way,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ — where  that 
name  is  known. 

Universalists  believe  that  the  death  of  Christ  is  of  no  use  to 
mankind,  only  as  the  figurative  meaning  of  that  event  is  under- 
stood. To  prove  this  we  cite  page  131,  of  Hosea  Ballous  Trea- 
tise on  Atonement,  where  he  says—"  The  literal  death  of  the 
man  Christ  Jesus  is  figurative  ;  and  all  the  life  we  obtain  by  it, 
is  by  learning  what  is  represented."  Here,  learning  is  put  as 
the  means  of  salvation;  whereas  faith,  by  the  New  Testament, 
is  put  as  the  means,  which  is  a  principle  very  far  in  its  nature 
from  learning,  knowledge,  or  information,  in  our  opinion. 

We  have  always  believed,  that  the  ceremonies  and  sacrifices 
of  the  temple  worship  of  the  Jews,  was  figurative  of  the  final, 
and  one  great  sacrifice  of  the  soul  and  body  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  sin  of  Adam,  and  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world;  but  here 
we  are  taught  by  Universalists,  that  the  sacrifices  of  the  Jewish 
religion,  were  the  figures  of  nothing  but  a  figure  after  all : 
where,  therefore,  is  the  end  of  this  figurability  of  Universalists  ? 
Suppose  we  were  to  understand  all  the  Scriptures  say  about 
God,  about  heaven,  and  about  moral  obligation,  as  figurative  ; 
even  Universalists  might  object,  yet,  to  us,  it  apppears  that  the 
Scriptures  are  not  less  definite  about  the  vicarious  and  expia- 
tory death  of  Jesus  Christ,  than  they  are  about  the  being  of  God, 
the  reality  of  heaven,  and  moral  obligations. 

The  New  Testament  Scriptures,  teach  that  repentance  toward 
God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  are  the  conditions  of 
salvation  ;  but  Universalists  say.  that  the  condition  is  the  under- 
standing of  a  figure,  which  implies  neither  repentance  or  faith, 
but  a  mere  trait  of  information  only.  This  is  Gnosticism,  or 
salvation  acquired  by  knowledge,  as  held  by  the  Gnostics — a  sect 
of  spurious  Christians,  which  overrun  many  countries,  in  the 
first  ages  of  Christianity.  On  this  plan  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  Bal- 
lou,  how  few  even  in  Christendom,  are  there  who  can  be  saved, 
as  the  death  of  Christ  can  do  no  good  to  any  man,  only  as  he 
can  understand  the  abstruse,  allegorical  and  figurative  meaning 
of  matters  too  high  for  the  entire  comprehension  of  the  human 
mind.  Even  Mr.  Ballon  himself,  at  the  very  moment  of  his 
writing  the  above  sentiment,  was  far  from  being  sure  of  his  own 
salvation,  as  attainable  in  this  life  ;  inasmuch  as  he  was  not 
absolutely  certain,  that  he  did  fully  and  completely  understand 


the  figurative  meaning  of  Christ's  death.  But  on  the  orthodox 
plan  ot'  faith,  the  simple  as  well  as  '  saved  :  as. 

faith  in  its  very  i;  >poses  something  materially  different 

from  knov  od  is  in  a  manner,  a  c  l  of  ignorance ; 

on  which  .  raith  has  ce.     On 

this  plan,  the  ignorant  may  come  to  God  as  well  as  the.  wise  ; 
believing  his  wor  ^editing  those   things  in  his  word, 

which  are  too  r  their  understanding,  (as  did  Abraham) 

as  are  many  subjects  of  true  theology.     Is  not  this  a  better  way 
than  to  expect  salvation  by  mere  knowledge,  or  by  the  under- 
standing of  abstruse  figures,  and  better  adapted  to  the  uni\ 
condition  of  mankind  !■     We  Leave  the  reader  to  decide,  even 
though  a  Universalist 

Universalists  do  not  believe  that  the  conduct  of  human  be 
whether  good  or  had  in  this  life,  can  in  any  way  affect  their  con- 
dition in  eternity,  as  being  either  rewardable  or  punishable;  yet 
says  Mr.  Baltou,  in  his  Treatise  oh  A tonem  "  144,  in 

speaking  of  "atoning  grace,''  says,  "  it  opens  a  door  of  everlas- 
ting hope,  and  conducts  the  soul,  by  way  of  the  cross,  to  immor- 
tality and  eternal  life."  Now  this  sentence  is  admitting,  in  the 
fullest  sense,  that  salvation  in  another  world  is  conditional; 
because  he  ascribes  it  to  atoning  irrace  ;  which  grace,  had  it 
never  been  manifested,  no  door  of  hope  about  immortality  and 
eternal  life  could  ever  have  been  opened  ;  and  if  no  door  had 
been  opened,  then  no  soul  could  ever  enter  into  such  a  state, 
consequently  salvation  is  conditional,  depending  on  c;  atoning 
grace/'  The  chief  inconsistency,  however,  of  the  above  senti- 
ment, consists  in  ascribing  eternal  salvation  to  grace;  as  eter- 
nal salvation,  according  to  Universalist  doctrine,  was  never 
placed  in  relation  to  the  human  race,  in  any  other  attidude  than 
that  of  absolute  certainty,  without  reference  to  any  condition  or 
circumstance  whatever,  other  than  the  eternal  will  of  God  :  to 
say  it  is  of  grace,  therefore,  on  account  of  any  medium,  is  to 
contradict,  point  blank,  this  indubitable  certainty,  and  overturns 
their  opinion  of  unconditional  salvation,  inasmuch  as  atoning 
grace,  may  or  may  not  be  received,  as  the  human  soul  may 
elect,  as  the  Scriptures  teach — which  say  :  "  Hive  diligence  to 
make  your  calling  and  election  sure.  .  . .  for  so  an  entrance  shall 
be  ministered  unto  you  abundantly  into  the  evi  rlasting  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesu 

On  the  Universalist  plan,  " immortality  and  eternal  life"  is  just 
as  sure  to  all  mankind,  without  this  -dorr  of  hope  :"  without  the 
way  of  the  cro  ring  grac 

they  do  not  hold  that  the  death  of  ]  procured  any- 

thing for  the  world  in  relation  to  this  thing,  but  was  merely  an 
attestation  of  good  wishes,  but  not  in  any  sense  vicarious  or 
expiatory. 


3S2  HISTORY  OF  THE    FALLEN 

The  Scriptures,  in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  speak 
mnch  of  the  merciful  disposition  of  God  toward  mankind.  But 
this  is  entirely  contradicted  by  the  theory  of  Universalis^  ;  inas- 
much as  they  hold  that  each  sinner,  from  Adam  down  to  the  last 
human  being  which  may  be  born  into  the  world,  must  suffer  ac- 
cording to  the  demerit  of  each  sin,  in  their  own  souls  and  per- 
sons ;  by  which  doctrine  mercy  is  excluded  altogether  from  the 
earth,  or  rather  never  had  an  entrance  here,  unless  it  is  contended 
that  a  privilege  to  suffer  is  the  mercy  of  God  ;  which  to  us  how- 
ever, appears  a  great  and  very  curious  absurdity. 

If  it  is  true  that  God  has  a  use  for  every  volition  of  the  human 
heart,  whether  good  or  bad,  as  stated  in  Mr.  Ballou's  Treatise 
on  Atonement,  as  follows  :  «  The  Almighty  has  a  good  intention 
in  every  volition  of  man,"  how  is  it,  therefore,  that  it  can  be 
shown  a  just  thing,  that  any  man,  however  sinful,  should  suffer, 
as  by  it  God's  good  intention  is  carried  into  effect  ?  To  this  a 
Universalist  will  reply,  by  saying,  however  sinful  each  wicked 
volition  of  each  individual  of  the  human  race  may  be,  they  are 
nevertheless,  when  considered  as  a  great  whole,  not  at  all  sinful. 
But  to  this  we  reply  in  our  turn  and  say,  that  which  is  not  sin- 
ful as  a  great  whole,  cannot  be  sinful  in  its  parts,  as  this  would 
be  a  contradiction  in  the  very  nature  of  the  thing,  and  therefore 
absurd. 

On  the  subject  of  man's  becoming  a  sinful  creature,  Univer- 
salists,  who  have  given  themselves  the  trouble  to  make  out  a 
theory  on  this  subject,  have  the  following  curious  opinions  : 
They  believe  that  when  God  created  Christ,  long  before  the 
creation  of  this  world  and  of  man,  that  he  created  man  in  Christ ; 
at  which  time,  and  in  which  condition,  the  law  of  the  spirit  of 
life  was  the  whole  governing  principle  of  his  nature.  But  at 
this  time,  when  so  created  in  Christ,  man  as  yet  had  no  form  or 
tangible  being,  yet  was  in  a  condition  in  which  the  law  of  the 
spirit  of  life  was  his  governing  principle  ;  however  difficult  this 
is  to  be  conceived  of,  so  they  think  it  was.  But  after  this  first 
creation,  in  which  man  was  good, — God,  as  if  not  satisfied  with 
him,  reduced  him  to  a  state  of  flesh  and  blood,  or  to  a  state  of 
formation ;  in  which  condition,  the  law  of  sin  became  the  gov- 
erning principle  of  the  whole  man.  In  this  condition,  it  appears 
the  great  Supreme  does  not  like  him,  half  as  well  as  before  ;  and 
accordingly  institutes  the  gospel  to  bring  him  back  again  from 
this  formed  condition,  and  from  under  the  taw  of  sin,  to  his 
original  state  of  being  in  Christ,  before  he  had  any  tangible  exis- 
tence, or  was  placed  on  the  earth,  as  stated  by  Moses. 

That  we  are  not  mistaken  about  their  views  on  this  subject, 
we  quote  Hosea  Ballou,  from  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  page 
145,  as  follows  :    "1.  God  created  man  in  Christ  the  Mediator, 
in  which  creation,  the  law  of  the  spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus. . . . 
was  the  whole  governing  principle  of  his  nature. 


AM. ELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTl  tttES.  3$3 

2d.  After  the  creation  of  man  in  this  divine  constitution,  it 
pleased  the  Almighty  to  reduce  him  to  a  state  of  formation  in 
flesh  and  blood,  in  which  constitution  the  law  of  sin. . . .  became 
the  governing  principle  of  the  whole  man. 

3d.  God  has  revealed  his  divine  and  glorious  purpose  of 
bringing  man  back  from  his  formed  state,  and  from  under  the 
law  of  the  earthly  Adam,  to  his  original  created  slate,  forever 
to  be  under  the  governing  power  of  the  law  of  the  heavenly 
constitution.'' 

Now  what  are  the  errors  of  this  invention,  about  the  introduc- 
tion of  sin  into  the  world  ?  They  are  as  follows  :  1st.  It  sup- 
poses that  Christ,  the  Eternal  word,  was  at  some  vast  distance 
of  past  eternity,  created  and  brought  into  being ;  which  is  absurd, 
unless  we  can  suppose  there  was  a  time  when  God  had  no  word, 
or  in  other  words,  no  power,  notwithstanding  the  Scriptures 
state  plainly  that — u  In  the  beginning  was  the  word,  and  the  word 
was  with  God.  and  the  word  was  God.  And  the  word  was  made 
flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as 
of  the  only  begotten  of  the  lather,  full  of  srrace  and  truth."  St. 
John  i.  1,  14.  Now,  as  to  this  beginning, — what  was  it  ?  Uni- 
versalists  will  probably  say,  it  was  the  time  when  God  made  his 
own  word,  or  power,  or  in  other  words,  when  he  made  Christ. 
But  the  orthodox  sects,  say  it  was  the  time  when  Christ,  the 
word,  the  poxcer  of  God  began  first  of  all  to  make  angels — the 
first  spirits  of  heaven — and  subsequently,  all  worlds,  with  their 
various  inhabitants.  This  we  prove  from  the  same  chapter, 
verse  3,  as  follows  :  «  All  things  were  made  by  him,  (Christ)  and 
without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  Con- 
sequently he  made  angels,  as  well  as  men,  and  all  things  else, 
which  can  be  called  being,  himself  excepted;  as  God,  and  the 
word  of  God,  or  the  power  of  God,  is  independent,  and  self-exis- 
tent— a  being  without  a  cause.  So  that  we  perceive  their  first 
error,  namely,  that  Christ  was  created,  is  a  palpable  one,  of  the 
first  magnitude  ;  setting  forth  as  if  God  created  his  own  u-ord, 
or  power,  which,  in,  and  of  itself,  is  absurd.  To  this  sense, 
respecting  the  deity  of  Christ,  there  is  no  contradiction,  as  sup- 
posed by  Universalists,  in  the  14th  verse  of  the  3d  of  Revelation, 
which  calls  him  the  "  Beginning  of  the  Creation  of  God  f  as  if 
God  created  him  ;  when  the  truth  is,  the  passage  means  that 
Christ,  the  word,  and  power  of  God,  was  the  beginner  of  the 
Creation  of  God,  instead  of  being  created,  and  is  properly  the 
king  of  all  created  beings.  He  even  created  his  own  body,  in 
which  he  afterwards  appeared  ;  as  it  is  said,  a  body  hast  thou 
prepared  for  me. 

A  second  error  is  therefore,  that  man  Was  never  so  created,  as 
supposed  above,  by  Mr.  Ballou  ;  for  if  Christ  was  not  created,  it 
follows  of  necessity,  that  man  was  never  created  in  him — in  the 
sense  of  the  above  author — before  he  was  made  flesh  and  blood, 


3S1  HISTORY  OF  THi;  FALLEN 

as  we  find  him  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  This  also  makes  confu- 
sion, with  the  account  of  man's  condition,  as  given  by  Moses. 
when  it  is  said,  that  "the  Lord  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of 
the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  and 
man  became  a  living  soul,"  or  spirit.  Gen.  ii.  7.  But,  says  the 
reader,  how  does  the  confusion  appear,  as  spoken  above  ?  It  ap- 
pears in  his  having  two  spirits  ;  the  first  spirit,  which  was  made 
in  Christ,  before  he  was  formed  of  dust,  and  the  second  spirit, 
after  he  was  formed  of  dust,  and  thus  the  confusion  is  made  out ; 
because  a  man  with  two  souls,  or  two  spirits,  would  be  a  monster, 
as  well  as  a  man  with  two  bodies. 

And  third,  it  makes  God  the  direct  author  of  sin  ;  not  only  of 
sin  as  a  great  whole,  but  of  sin  in  each  individual  of  the  human 
race,  by  fixing  it  into  the  nature  of  the  first  individual  from  whom 
each  individual  was  to  proceed,  till  the  birth  of  the  last  human 
being,  while  time  shall  endure.  It  shows  up  the  Divine  being 
in  a  changeable  light ;  inasmuch  as  the  opinion  makes  it  out  that 
God  did  not  like  man,  as  he  was  in  his  first  created  condition  in 
Christ,  before  he  was  formed  of  the  dust,  although  he  was  then 
wholly  under  the  laio  of  the  spirit  of  life,  and  consequently 
took  him  out  of  that  first  condition,  and  reduced  him  to  flesh  and 
blood — in  which  condition,  the  law  of  sin,  was  made  to  wholly 
govern  him.  And  now,  according  to  Mr.  Ballon,  he  did  not 
like  him,  and  therefore,  has  instituted  the  gospel  to  bring  him 
back  again  to  his  first  condition,  as  he  was  before  he  was  made 
of  dust,  and  if  he  might  not  even  then  be  suited  with  him,  who 
can  tell  what  next  the  Supreme  Being  may  see  fit  to  reduce  him 
to.  To  substantiate  this  opinion,  that  of  man's  existence,  before 
he  was  reduced  to.an  earthly  creation,  he  refers  the  reader  to  the 
second  chapter  of  Genesis,  fifth  verse,  where  it  is  said  :  "  And 
there  was  not  a  man  to  till  the  ground."  From  that  place,  he 
infers  that  the  account  of  the  creation  of  Adam  and  Eve,  as 
given  in  the  first  chapter,  relates  entirely  to  Adam's  having  first 
been  created  in  Christ,  before  he  was  reduced  from  that  condi- 
tion to  a  condition  of  flesh  and  blood.  But  this  inference  is 
disallowed,  when  we  examine  that  first  chapter  in  relation  to 
this  thing,  which  is  as  follows,  sec  verse  26  :  "  And  God  said  let 
ms  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness  ;  let  him  have 
dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the  air, 
and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the  earth,  and  over  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth." 

Now  if  the"  notion  of  Mr.  Ballon  is  the  right  notion  on  this 
subject,  we  enquire  in  what  way  could  man,  or  could  Adam  and 
Eve,  have  exerted  their  delegated  government  and  control  of 
the  animals  of  the  earth,  if  atthat  time  they  existed  only  in  the 
fanciful  and  chimerical  manner  he  has  represented  ?  And  more 
than  this,  how  could  they  have,  in  that  condition,  multiplied, 
replenished,  and  subdued  the  earth,  governed  the  animals,  &c? 


a  \.,        -  388 

The  thing  was  impossible,  and  therefore  untrue  ;  by  which  we 
ascertainthi  'man's  creation,  asgiven  inthejirst 

chapter,  is  the  i  '.  with  only  this  difference, 

in  the  s  •  ■  >nd  th  d,  namely,  of 

t,  while  i:i  the  firsts  th  the  manner  is  de- 

Lrtheron. 

That  man  was  thus  i  creal  d,  is  con- 

tends! by  u,  on  page  35  el' his   Treatise  on  Atone- 

ment :  the  most  unprbveable  •  started  by  man,  and 

the  most  chimeri  appears  to  uj  .     I  [e  thinks,  because  it  is 

d  in  Gen.  le  in  the  image  of  God, 

!>.  i.  2;  '.5.  that  the  Son  of  God  is  theex- 
i  of  God,  that  consequently  Christ  the 
.!  ever  i  reated.  But  this  can- 
not be  true,  as  it  has  for  \  uence  this  wonderful  conclu- 
sion, namely,  that  the.-  and  is  the  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  and  is  in  truth  the  man  Christ  Jesus. 
"We  prove  this  to  be  his  opinion,  from  his  own  statement,  in  his 
Treatise  on  Atonement^  page  123,  as  follows :  "It  is  plain  to 
me,  from  Scripture,  that  the"  Mediator  is  the  first  human  soul 
which  was  created/'  But  this  is  refuted,  when  it  is  recollected 
that  the  body  of  Adam  was  formed  before  we  hear  anything  about 
his  soul  n.  ii.  7,  "And  the  Lord  Gcd  formed  man  of  the 
dust  of  the  ground,  and  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of 
(animal)  life,  and  man  became  a  living  (immortal  and  intellec- 
tual) soul.  Here. is  no  intimation  <  soul  of  Adam  having 
been  in  existence  before  his  body  was  made ;  nay.  the  very  for- 
mation of  the  sentence  shows  point  blank,  that  it  was  created, 
and  produced  1  y  the  mighty  power  of  God,  which  was  Christ 
the  eternal  word  .  ubsequt  ni  to  the  formation  of  his  body,  inas- 
much as  it  reads  thus  :  "  and  man  I  a  living  soul  :"'  which 
form  of  speech  shows  its  progression  at  that  identical  time,  into 
being,  under  the  Almighty  hand  ;  and  that  it  had  no  previous 
existence  as  supposed  by  Mr.  Ballon.  On  this  view,  namely, 
that  God  created  ( !hrist,  and  then  that  Christ  created  all  things 
else,  there  follows  another  exceedingly  curious  result,  which  is, 
that  Christ  created  himself:  for  it  is  said  of  him — John,  i.  3 — 
that  "all  things  were  made  by  him  ;  and  without  him  was  not 
any  thing  made  that  was  made  ;"  and  consequently  he  must 
have  made  himself,  if  lie  is  not  the  self-existent  God,  or  the 
Scripture  as  above  quoted  is  not  true,  which  says  Christ  made 
all  things,  and  includes  himself  if  he  is  a  created  being,  and  is 
included  in  the  idea  of  all  things. 

That  man's  soul,  or  that  the  first  human  soul  which  was 
made  was  not  Christ  the  Mediator,  as  supposed  and  plainly 
stated  by  Mr.  IJallou,  appears  from  another  quarter  :  see  John 
xvii.  5,  as  follows:  -And  now,  0  father  (of  my  humanity) 
glorify  thou  me  with  thine  own  self  with  the  glory  which  I  had 


3S6  History  of  the  fallen 

With  thee  before  the  world  was."  Here  it  is  proven  that  Christ 
existed  before  the  creation  of  this  earth,  or  mundane  system. 
Bat  as  it  respects  the  first  human  soul,  it  was  not  made  till  the 
whole  world  was  finished,  animals  and  all ;  when  on  the  sixth 
day  of  creation  the  body  of  Adam  was  made,  and  the  soul 
brought  forth  from  non-existence  immediately  after,  and  united 
with  it.  Wherefore  we  think  we  have  overturned  the  idea  of 
Christ  having  been  created,  as  well  also  as  that  he  was  the  first 
human  soul  which  was  created  ;  and  refutes  the  idea  of  man's 
heavenly  nature  existing  before  it  did  exist  in  his  soul,  as  first 
produced  at  the  time  his  body  and  soul  were  united  in  the  terres- 
tial  paradise. 

But  as  to  the  image  of  God,  in  which  man  was  at  first  created, 
we  ought  to  give  our  opinion,  inasmuch  as  we  have  contra- 
dicted the  opinion  of  others.  We  think  it  was  simply  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul,  together  with  its  intellectuality  and  free 
agency,  in  which  respects  it  is  the  image  of  God.  This  opinion 
also  includes  the  body  of  man,  as  it  is  to  be  raised  from  the  dead  ; 
and  the  same  numercial  particles,  which  for  a  time  the  spirit  is 
to  be  separated  from,  are  to  assume  a  different  mode  of  ex- 
istence, which  as  mere  matter,  considered  abstractedly  from 
the  spirit,  cannot  be  shown  to  have  been  affected  by  the  change 
called  death  :  and  therefore  this  vehicle  of  the  ever  living  spirit, 
is,  as  to  its  endless  being  from  the  time  of  its  creation,  equally 
the  image  of  God  with  the  soul.  Therefore  it  is  said  that  man, 
including  both  soul  and  body,  and  reasoning  faculties,  was  made 
in  the  image  of  God.  But  says  one,  and  possibly  a  Hicksite 
Friend,  what  reason  can  there  be  in  raising  up  the  very  same 
body  from  the  grave,  which  died  and  was  buried  there,  and 
soon  returned  to  dust  as  it  was  ?  where  is  the  propriety  of  such  a 
supposition?  We  answer  this  as  follows  :  will  it  not  be  an  in- 
gredient in  the  happiness  of  the  blessed,  that  identity,  as  well  of 
body  as  of  mind  shall  then  exist  ?  will  it  not  be  to  the  praise  of 
the  glory  of  God,  that  the  very  evidence  of  Christ's  victory  over 
death  shall  be  ever  present  among  the  hosts  of  heaven  ?  is  it  not 
a  virtue  and  a  pleasure,  when  a  poor  miserable  wretch,  who  is 
suddenly  exalted  to  great  opulence  and  power,  should  preserve 
the  remembrance  of  his  former  poverty,  and  thus  have  the  cause 
of  both  praise  and  humility  ever  before  his  eyes  ?  The  same, 
so  far  as  this  simile  can  apply,  may  be  supposed  of  the  resur- 
rection bodies  of  the  saints.  It  must  be  a  pleasure,  that  the 
same  bodies  and  minds  which  were  originated  together  in  the 
earth,  were  redeemed  together,  did  acts  of  worship,  homage  and 
praise  together,  were  afflicted  together,  should  be  together  in 
fairer  worlds  than  this,  to  be  the  evidence  of  the  state  from 
whence  they  were  raised  up  to  eternal  glory  by  the  death  and 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ.  All  the  distinctness  of  limb  and  counte- 
nance, for  identity's  sake,  must  accompany  a  resurrection  of 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  3S* 

the  body.  Whether  the  subject  were  in  infancy,  youth,  or  old 
age,  male  or  female,  whether  great  or  small,  there  must  remain 
the  traits  of  identity — which  very  circumstance  will  greatly  en- 
hance the  happiness  of  the  saved,  as  by  this  means  they  can 
know  each  other. 

The  same  argument  will  apply  in  relation  to  the  damned  ; 
the  same  bodies  which  must  then  accompany  the  same  mind, 
which  agreed  so  well  together  in  acts  of  sin  and  depravity. 
Therefore  not  only  teeth  lor  identity's  sake,  but  all  the  limbs, 
with  the  countenance,  attitudes  and  gestures,  must  and  will  ac- 
company the  mind  through  all  the  dismal  journey  of  eternal 
damnation,  as  the  evidence  of  their  origin  on  earth,  and  of  the 
opportunities  they  there  enjoyed  of  having  secured  a  better  in- 
heritance, and  also  the  use  they  made  of  such  opportunities; 
which  reflections  will  cause  them  to  gnash  their  teeth,  and  blas- 
pheme the  righteous  judge  of  their  doom  ;  and  thus  possibly  we 
see  the  reason  of  that  singular  expression — gnash  their  teeth  for 
pain. 

But  as  it  respects  the  Scriptures,  which  state  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  express  image  of  the  person  of  God,  they  are  to  be  under- 
stood in  a  much  higher  sense  ;  for  while  man  has  but  few  traits 
of  the  eternal  God.  Christ  has  all  the  traits  of  that  being.  Now 
mark  what  is  said  in  Hebrews  on  this  point,  respecting  the 
true  character  and  person  of  Christ,  as  follows :  "  Who  being 
the  brightness  of  his  (God's)  glory,  and  the  express  image  of 
his  person,"  &c.  In  the  account  of  man's  being  the  image  of 
God,  as  given  in  Genesis,  there  are  no  such  statements  as  ex- 
press image,  brigJitness  of  his  glory,  &c.  which  sufficiently 
marks  the  immense  difference  there  is  between  the  sense  in 
which  man  is  the  image  of  God,  and  that  in  which  Christ  is  his 
image. 

Mr.  Ballou  seems  to  believe,  on  page  151  of  his  Treatise  on 
Atonement,  that  could  it  be  shown  in  Scripture  that  a  soul  on 
leaving  this  life  in  an  unsanctiried  and  unprepared  condition. 
cannot  in  eternity  be  altered  for  the  better,  that  it  would  present 
a  formidable,  if  not  an  unanswerable  objection  to  universal  sal- 
vation ;  but  avers  that  no  such  Scripture  can  be  found.  To 
prove  this,  we  have  no  idea  of  quoting  what  he  calls  an  addition 
to  the  Scriptures,  which  reads,  "  as  the  tree  falls  so  it  lies  ;  as 
death  leaves  its,  so  judgment  will  find  us  ;"  as  we  do  not  know 
that  it  can  be  found  in  the  Bible  ;  yet  there  are  passages  having 
pretty  much  that  meaning,  which  we  will  now  present  the  read- 
er. "  For  what  is  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  soul ;  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange 
for  his  soul?"  Matth.  xvi.  2(5.  The  same  is  stated  by  St.  Luke, 
ix.  25.  <:  For  what  is  a  man  advantaged,  if  he  gain  the  whole 
world  and  lose  himself,  or  be  a  castaway?"  That  these  passa- 
ges do  not  allude  to  the  loss  of  one's  natural  life,  is  clear  5  be- 


3SS 


HISTORY  OF   lili:  FALLEN 


cause  all  men,  both  rich  and  poor,  must  and  do  die,  and  there-* 
fore  the  terms  -:  lose  himself,  or  be  a  cast  away/'  cannot  refer  to 
this  fact.  It  most  evidently  has  a  moral  allusion,  therefore,  and 
alludes  to  the  penal  death  of  the  soul  in  another  world.  There 
is  no  other  sense  in  which  the  terms  cast  away  can  be  understood, 
as  there  is  hope  in  all  cases,  while  there  is  life  remainining,  on 
which  account  the  terms  arc  inapplicable  to  any  temporal  condi- 
tion. No  man  can  lose  his  soul  in  this  life,  or,  if  the  reader 
please,  no  man  can  lose  his  life,  while  he  is  alive.  It  is  clear, 
therefore,  the  loss  cannot  be  sustained  except  when  temporal 
life  is  past,  and  in  another  world.  This  is  what  St.  Paul  meant 
when  he  said,  "But  1  keep  my  body  under,  and  bring- it  into 
subjection,  least  that  by  any  means,  when  I  have  preached  to 
others,  I  myself  should  be  a  cast-away .:'  1  Cor.  ix.  27.  Now 
did  this  Apostle  mean  by  the  words  cast-away,  temporal  death  / 
By  no  means  ;  as  however  much  he  might  keep  his  body  under 
temporal  death  could  not  be  avoided.  It  remains,  therefore,  that 
he  meant  by  the  terms  cast  away,  damnation  after  death,  and 
nothing  else  but  this.  There  are  other  passages  which  go  to 
show  the  loss  of  the  soul  after  death,  as  in  Luke  xvi.  23,  where 
is  an  account  of  the  death  and  damnation  of  the  soul  of  a  cer- 
tain rich  man,  of  whom  it  is  said  that  he  died,  "  and  in  hell  he 
lifted  up  his  eyes,  (instinctive  knowledge  of  the  condition  he  was 
in,)  being  in  torments  .  .  .  tormented  in  this  flame?  Much  in- 
genuity has  been  expended  by  Universalists,  to  do  away  the  ev- 
idence it  gives  of  such  a  state  after  death,  but  evidently  very  far 
fetched,  and  without  the  least  plausibility.  Could  they  but  find 
one  passage  in  all  the  Bible  half  as  plain  as  it  relates  to  the  really 
unconditional  salvation  of  all  mankind,  they  would  seize  upon  it 
as  upon  hid  treasure  ;  but  it  cannot  be  found.  It  cannot  be  ap- 
plied to  the  Gentiles,  as  their  condition  was  a  condition  of  hope  ; 
for  they  were  promised  to  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  reign  over 
them  in  the  fullness  of  time,  which  he  could  not  do  if  they  were 
in  hell.  The  hell  they  were  in  could  not  be  the  grave,  as  in  it 
there  is  no  suffering ;  it  could  not  have  been  a  guilty  con- 
science suffering  in  this  life,  as  in  such  a  case  there  is  hope ; 
while  in  the  case  of  the  damnation  of  this  rich  man's  soul,  the 
text  offers  no  kind  of  hope,  when  it  says  that  an  impassable 
gulf  intervened  between  him  and  a  happy  state.  Also  in  Luke 
xii.  20,  is  an  account,  of  another  rich  man,  who  had  promised 
himself  a  long  and  luxurious  life,  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  wealth  ; 
but  as  it  was  seen  of  God  that  he  so  unboundedly  trusted  to  his 
wealth,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  support  of  the  Supreme  Being,  it 
was  seen  fit  to  take  him  from  the  earth,  as  we  learn  from  the 
above  Scripture,  where  it  is  said  in  relation  to  him,  "Thou  fool, 
this  night  shall  tin/  soul  be  required  of  thee" 

Concerning  these  two  cases  as  above  alluded  to,  even  though 
they  could  be  said  to  be  parables,  which,  however,  we  believe 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  3S0 

cannot  be  made  out — yet  they  must  be  considered  as  true,  as  no 
parable  can  convey  a  false  doctrine  and  have  God  for  its  author, 
by  the  use  of  over  strained  language — which  is  done  in  Luke, 
16 — if  there  is  no  hell;  for  the  terms,  "hell"  "tormented  in 
this  flame"  &c.  or  flames,  is  language  altogether  too  severe 
and  horrible  to  be  applied  to  any  condition  of  man  in  this  life — 
Jew  or  Gentile — saint  or  sinner — savage  or  civilized. 

Now  if  it  is  impossible  that  any  soul  of  man  can  be  a  cast- 
away after  death,  as  Cnivcrsalists  believe,  then  the  above  quoted 
Scriptures  are  without  meaning,  as  according  to  them  no  place 
or  condition,  either  in  this  life  or  in  that  which  is  to  come,  can 
the  soul  of  man  be  considered  as  cast  away,  or  as  wholly  lost, 
which  is  the  meaning  of  the  term.  It  would  appear  that  the 
Revelator  believed  this  thing  possible,  when  he  says.  Rev.  xx.  C, 
"Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection, 
on  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power."  The  second  death 
in  this  place,  it  appears,  is  to  take  place  after  the  first  resurrec- 
tion ;  which  first  resurrection  is  that  of  the  saints,  as  stated  by 
St.  Paul,  1st  Thes.  iv.  16,  "  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first/' 
But  those  who  are  not  privileged  with  a  resurrection  at  that 
time  will  not  be  considered  the  dead  in  Christ,  and  will  there- 
fore be  hurt  by  the  second  death,  which  is  damnation  in  hell, 
from  which  we  have  heard  of  no  deliverance,  and  is  to  be  con- 
summated in  a  lake,  or  ocean,  or  world  of  fire  and  brimstone, 
which  is  the  second  death.  The  first  death  wras  that  of  the 
fall  of  the  whole  human  race  in  Adam  ;  the  second  death  will 
be  that  death  which  will  follow  this  life,  and  will  be  visited  upon 
all  such  as  shall,  in  the  estimation  of  God,  be  guilty  of  finally 
rejecting  his  offers  of  mercy  in  his  Son,  when  his  mediation 
shall  have  ended,  which  will  end  at  the  time  of  the  final  judg- 
ment, or  end  of  the  world. 

To  lessen  the  force  of  this  last  quotation — Rev.  xx.  6 — there 
need  be  no  attempt  made  by  Universalists,  because  it  is  found  in 
the  book  of  Revelation  ;  for  Ballou,  Balfour,  and  the  best  writers 
of  the  order,  quote  that  book  freely,  wherever  it  suits  their  pur- 
pose, therefore  it  must  be  authentic  and  good  Scripture. 

"  Fear  God  who  is  able  to  destroy  both  body  and  soul  in  hell." 
Matth.  x.  28.  "But  I  will  forewarn  you  whom  ye  shall  fear  : 
fear  him  which  after  he  hath  killed  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell ; 
yea.  I  say  unto  you  fear  him."  Luke,  xii.  5.  Now,  if  as  Mr. 
Ballou  seems  to  believe,  the  souls  of  wicked  persons  leaving  the 
world  in  that  condition,  are  to  be  privileged  with  an  opportunity 
of  further  improvement,  in  a  moral  point  of  light,  it  appears  they 
arc  to  take  their  first  lesson  in  hell ;  and  whether  they  will  im- 
prove fast  enough  ever  to  get  out,  is  extremely  doubtful,  as  we 
have  no  intimation  that  the  judgments  of  God  is  to  be  reversed 
or  mitigated,  but  the  contrary,  which  is  eternal — Heb,  vi.  2. 

29 


390  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

That  the  best  writers  among  Universalists  do  believe  that  the 
wicked,  leaving  this  life  in  that  character,  may  be  converted  after 
death,  we  prove  from  Mr.  Ballou's  Treatise  on  Atonement,  page 
169,  as  follows  :  "  Why  the  idea  has  become  so  general,  that 
souls  cannot  be  enlightened  and  converted  from  sin  to  holiness 
after  the  death  of  the  body,  is  difficult  for  me  to  determine.'' 
Here  we  see  this  writer  admits  the  belief,  and  contends  for  it, 
and  could  he  but  perceive  it,  yields  to  the  idea  of  there  being  a 
hell  in  another  world,  inasmuch  as  in  the  above  sentence  he 
admits  that  human  souls  may  be  in  a  sinful  state,  and  conse- 
quently in  an  unhappy  and  miserable  one  in  eternity,  even  from 
his  own  showing,  for  he  says  that  sin  and  misery  are  insepara- 
ble. But  that  such  may  be  the  case,  is  extremely  improbable, 
on  account  of  powerful  Scripture  intimations  to  the  contrary, 
which  we  have  already  shown,  and  still  proceed  to  show — see 
Ecc.  xi.  3  :  "  And  if  the  tree  fall  toward  the  south  or  toward  the 
north,  in  the  place  where  the  tree  falleth  there  it  shall  be." 
Respecting  this  quotation  from  Ecclesiastes,  are  we  to  imagine 
that  it  means  no  more  than  to  inform  men  that  a  tree  will  lie 
still  on  the  ground  when  cut  down,  if  nobody  don't  draw  it  away. 
till  it  rots  :  or  are  we  to  gather  from  it  that  the  spirit  of  inspira- 
tion, intends  by  the  figure  to  apply  it  to  the  final  characters  of 
the  human  race  after  death;  and  as  the  natural  position  of  a 
tree  when  felled  to  the  earth  is  inherently  an  unalterable  one, 
so  also  is  the  condition  of  all  human  souls,  who  pass  from  time 
to  eternity,  retaining  without  end  the  same  characters,  whether 
good  or  bad,  in  which  they  leave  this  life.  If  so,  then  we  have 
a  meaning  worthy  inspiration  ;  but  if  it  apply  simply  to  a  tree, 
and  the  manner  of  its  lying  on  the  ground,  it  appears  to  us  a 
very  simple  communication  indeed.  But,  if  we  have  hit  the 
right  meaning  of  the  passage,  we  think  we  can  corroborate  it 
still  further  than  we  have  already  done ;  see  Heb.  ix.  27 :  "It 
is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment." 
But  what  kind  of  a  judgment  is  that  to  be  which  is  to  take  place 
after  death  ?  We  will  let  St.  Paul  inform  us  ;  see  2d  Cor.  v.  10  : 
l:  For  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  that 
every  one  may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  according  to 
that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad  "  It  is  useless  for 
Universalists  to  pretend  that  this  is  done  every  hour  and  every 
day,  as  in  that  case  the  Apostle  could  not  have  put  it  in  the  future 
even  after  death,  as  he  has  done,  but  would  have  written,  that 
men  do  now  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ,  in  the 
present  tense  ;  which  he  has  not  done,  as  Universalists  wish  he 
had.  This  was  a  doctrine  believed  by  Solomon,  who  lived  a 
thousand  years  before  the  time  of  Christianity,  (and  five  hundred 
years  before  the  time  of  Zoroaster.)  as  appears  from  the  last 
verse  of  the  last  chapter  of  the  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  who  says 
that  "  God  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 


ANOELS  OF  TQE  SCRIPTURES.  391 

secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good  or  whether  it  be  evil."  This  is 
also  put  in  the  future,  the  same  as  St.  Paul  has  stated  the  doc- 
trine, and  cannot  therefore  be  in  this  life. 

That  the  wicked,  departing  this  life  in  that  character,  are  never 
to  change  for  the  better,  or  be  converted  in  eternity,  we  further 
show  from  Rev.  xxii.  11,  as  follows  :  "  He  that  is  unjust  let  him 
be  unjust  still  and  he  which  is  filthy  let  him  be  filthy  still,  and 
he  that  is  righteous  let  him  be  righteous  still,  and  he  that  is  holy 
let  him  be  holy  still."     That  this  statement  of  the  Revelator  is 
intended  to  be  applied  to  the  moral  condition  of  the  souls  of  men 
after  death,  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  in  no  period  of  human 
life,  does  the  word  of  God  so  fix  the  conditions  of  men  as  that 
it  can  be  said  of  them,  "  he  that  is  filthy  let  him  be  filthy  still ;" 
or,  "  he  that  is  unjust  let  him  be  unjust  still ;"  as  if  at  some 
period  of  life,  it  were  impossible  after  that  to  reform  one's  char- 
acter.    It  is  in  vain  to  apply  this  Scripture  to  the  overthrow  of 
the  Jews  by  the  Romans,  because  it  was  not  written  till  about 
twenty  years  after  that  occurrence,  according  to  the  best  authors 
on  that  subject,  as  we  have  before  shown.     This  sense  of  the 
quotation  is  confirmed  by  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Revelator,  in  the 
verse  next  ensuing,  who  says,  "  Behold  I  come  quickly,  and  my 
reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his  work 
shall  be."     But  says  the  reader,  how  can  this  Scripture  be  ap- 
plied to  the  day  of  judgment,  on  account  of  its  saying,  "  Behold 
I  come  quickly"  as  if  it  were  expected  this  should  be  fulfilled 
immediately  ?     It  can  be  applied  in  this  way,  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation is  the  last  dispensation  of  the  earth  ;  or  as  it  is  said  in 
another  place,  "  it  is  the  last  time ;"  which  dispensation  will 
soon  be  over,  when  the  end  will  come  ;  and  then  shall  every 
man  receive  according  to  his  doings,  and  if  found  filthy  ana* 
unjust,  so  he  must  remain,  for  all  any  light  the  Scriptures  give 
Dn  this  subject  to  the  contrary.     We  have  not  the  least  possible 
doubt  that  the  46th  verse  of  the  25th  of  St.  Matthew  has  this 
very  subject  in  view  when  it  says,  u  And  these  shall  go  away 
into  (eternal  or)  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into 
life  (everlasting  or)  eternal."     Now  if  these  are  to  go  away  into 
eternal  punishment,  which  is  according  to  the  original,  it  is 
impossible  to  be  understood  otherwise,  as  every  educated  Uni- 
versalist  or  orthodox  scholar  well  knows  ;  how  is  it  therefore 
possible,  that  the  idea,  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Ballou,  of  conversion 
after  death,  is  in  any  way  admissible  ?     And  if  not,  then  an  in- 
surmountable barrier  is  opposed  to  universal,  unconditional  sal- 
vation, sure  enough,  even  according  to  Mr.  Ballou's  own  admis- 
sion.    It  is,  however,  proper  for  us  in  this  place  to  state,  that 
after  Mr.  Ballou  had  written  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  in 
which  he  has  suggested  the  possibility  of  men's  dying  in  their 
sins,  and  of  their  being  converted  after  death,  as  above  noticed, 
that  he  has  seen  fit  in  his  preface  of  that  work  to  draw  back  a 


392  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

little  from  the  position,  and  rather  to  disallow  either ;  as  no 
doubt  he  found  out  that  it  was  in  reality  admitting  the  existence 
of  too  much  hell  after  death,  as  he  says  sin  and  misery  are  not 
to  be  separated.  In  relation  to  this  we  remark,  that  it  is  likely 
Mr.  Ballou  and  his  coadjutors  in  opinions,  had  not  exactly  made 
up  their  minds  to  believe  in  the  grand  salvo  of  the  resurrection, 
which  is  to  save  all,  both  good  and  bad,  and  to  fit  them  for  hea- 
ven. Thus  we  see  that  it  is  a  thriving  system,  and  to  what  size 
it  may  yet  arrive  is  hard  to  guess. 

But  we  come  now  to  notice  one  of  the  strangest  vagaries  on 
theology  ever  propagated  as  sober  truth,  and  this  is  the  opinion 
of  Universalists  about  the  fire  of  the  New  Testament,  into  which 
sinners  are  there  threatened  to  be  cast,  and  to  be  burnt  without 
end.  We  will  quote  a  few  passages,  and  then  state  their  belief 
of  their  meaning.  "  And  now,  also,  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root 
of  the  trees,  therefore  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good 
fruit,  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire."  Matthew,  iii.  1 0. 
Also,  in  verse  12,  it  is  said  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  "  he  will  tho- 
roughly purge  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner  ; 
but  he  will  burn  the  chaff  with  unquenchable  fire?  "  And  if 
thy  right  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out  and  east  it  from  thee  :  for 
it  is  profitable  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish, 
and  not  thy  whole  body  should  be  cast  into  hell."  Matth.  v.  29. 
"  But  whosoever  shall  say,  thou  fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of  hell 
fire?  Verse  22.  Also,  in  Mark,  chap.  ix.  verses  43,  44,  45,  46, 
47,  48,  the  subject  of  the  fire  of  hell,  which  is  there  called  un- 
quenchable, is  over  and  over  repeated,  in  the  same  form  of  speech, 
and  set  forth  as  a  state  of  distress  and  punishment,  as  well  as  the 
other  passages  before  quoted  on  the  subject  of  hell  fire.  But 
what  think  ye  is  the  opinion  of  Universalists  of  all  these  passa- 
ges, and  others  like  them,  as  found  in  all  the  Scriptures  ?  Why 
that  they  denote  salvation,  the  fire  of  God's  love,  &c;  which, 
were  it  so,  all  we  can  reply  is,  that  the  wicked  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, are  threatened  with  nothing  less  than  eternal  salvation 
for  all  their  sins ;  a  circumstance  remarkably  calculated  to  re- 
form the  wicked  wherever  they  may  chance  to  be  read.  Accor- 
ding to  this  opinion,  the  hell  fire  which  can  never  be  quenched, 
and  into  which  the  wicked,  which  are  called  chaff,  are  threat- 
ened with  being  cast,  is  the  love  of  God,  the  happiness  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  salvation.  To  prove  Universalists  be- 
lieve this,  see  Ballou's  Treatise  on  Atonement,  pages  161  to 
167  inclusive.  Of  this  belief,  says  Mr.  Ballou,  "I  am  as  fully 
persuaded ....  as  1  am  of  any  idea  in  all  my  study." 

If  threatenings  and  promises  mean  the  same  thing,  then  vir- 
tue and  vice  are  but  one,  reioards  and  ptniishment  are  the 
same,  heaven  and  hell  are  the  same,  God  and  the  devil  are  but 
one  and  the  same  being,  saint  and  sinner  are  but  the  same  char- 
acters, moral  government  is  a  farce,  accountability  is  nothing, 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  393 

farther  than  a  mere  accountability  to  one's  self,  and  even  this  is 
of  no  mortal  use  :  angels  are  men,  and  men  are  devils,  and  devils 
are  saints  ;  because  men  are  saints,  the  fall  is  no  fall,  sin  is  not 
sin,  death  is  an  enemy,  yet  was  appointed  of  God,  Christ  was  a 
mere  man,  and  needed  salvation  as  well  as  others  ;  there  is  no 
free  agency,  all  is  fate,  all  is  one  great  machine,  all  is  according 
to  the  will  and  desire  of  God  ;  and  yet  sin,  it  is  argued,  exists. 
Thus  Universalist  arguments  on  the  Scriptures,  jumble  and  con- 
found truth  and  error,  without  end,  object,  or  aim,  so  far  as  we 
are  able  to  understand  their  views  ;  on  which  account  we  con- 
sider their  system  a  system  of  infidelity,  of  the  most  complex, 
confused  and  bewildering  description,  ever  propagated  amongst 
men. 

Here  also  we  will  state  that  Mr.  Ballou  in  the  preface  of  his 
book  on  Atonement,  has  in  a  measure,  recanted,  in  relation  to 
the  fire,  so  often  spoken  of  in  the  New  Testament ;  which,  in  the 
body  of  that  work,  he  says  was  that  fire  which  purifies  the 
soul  of  man,  but  that  he  now  thinks  it  wholly  applicable  to 
the  ruin  of  the  Jews,  and  their  suffering.  Here  also  we  discover 
the  instability  of  these  writers  :  they  seem  to  have  but  little  con- 
dence,  after  all,  in  their  strange  dogmas ;  and  that  which  they 
write  at  one  time,  they  will  perhaps  disallow  at  another ;  but 
whether  their  alterations  will  be  better  or  worse,  we  shall  have 
to  wait  and  see  before  we  can  tell :  as  it  respects  the  above  draw 
backs,  we  do  not  perceive  that  he  has  bettered  the  matter  at  all. 

In  a  certain  place,  it  is  said  by  St.  Paul,  that  if  in  this  life, 
Christians  have  hope  only,  that  of  all  men  they  were  the  most 
miserable.  Now  on  the  ground  of  Universalism,  had  not  Paul 
have  been  far  happier,  and  better  off,  if  he  had  abandoned  Chris- 
tianity ? — as  from  his  own  statement,  he  has  made  out  that  he 
and  his  fellows  were  the  most  miserable  of  men,  except  the  hope 
they  had  of  heaven,  if  they  proved  faithful  to  the  end.  But 
according  to  Universal ists,  Paul  had  no  more  hope  than  any 
other  man ;  as  heaven  was  sure  to  all  alike :  was  he  not  there- 
fore foolish  that  he  did  not  abandon  it  ?  It  is  of  no  use  for  Uni- 
versalists  to  say  that  St.  Paul  was  happy  in  the  midst  of  his 
sorrows  ;  for  Paul  himself,  has  said  that  he  and  his  fellows  were 
of  all  men  the  most  miserable,  without  that  hope:  and  as  Uni- 
versalists  do  not  allow  that  heaven  is  to  be  a  reward,  for  what 
a  man  may  suffer  here  for  righteousness'  sake, — we  perceive  that 
Paul's  hope,  (with  that  of  all  Christians,)  was  not  a  reason  why 
they  should  suffer,  as  Christians,  so  ??iuch  misery,  as  he  speaks 
of ;  consequently  they  suffered  as  fools,  if  Universalism  is  true. 

A  greater  deception  was  never  practiced,  than  is  practiced  In- 
Universal  ist  writers  ;  who,  when  they  find  any  general  expres- 
sions of  Scripture,  making  large,  free,  and  full  promises  to  the 
righteous,  who  have  complied  with  the  conditions,  immcdiately 
seise  upon  it,  and  claim  it  for  all,  both  good  and  bad — uncondi- 


394  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

tionally.  One  such  text,  we  will  here  exhibit,  upon  which  Uni- 
versalists  seize  as  a  key  text,  by  which  they  explain  many  others, 
in  the  same  way.  This  text  is  Gen.  xii.  3  :  "And  I  will  bless 
them  that  bless  thee,  (Abraham)  and  curse  them  that  curse  thee, 
and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Now 
on  this  text,  they  claim  universal  salvation  for  each  individual 
of  the  human  race,  as  if  anything  short  of  this  could  not  be  a 
blessing,  though  ever  so  much  opportunity  were  afforded  to  all 
the  families  of  the  earth,  and  to  such  persons  as  should  choose  to 
abuse  the  blessing  of  opportunity,  to  be  saved — could  be  no  bless- 
ing. But  to  show  that  this  promise  was,  after  all,  a  conditional 
one,  as  it  related  to  certain  salvation  in  heaven,  we  quote  Gal. 
iii.  8,  9,  where  it  is  found  that  faith  was  to  be  the  condition  of 
salvation.  The  text  reads:  "And  the  Scripture  foreseeing 
that  God  would  justify  the  heathen  through  faith,  preached 
before  the  gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  In  thee  shall  all  nations 
be  blessed.  So  then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with 
faithful  Abraham." 

Here  it  is  shown  by  St.  Paul  himself,  who  wrote  by  the  inspi- 
ration of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  though  the  promise  to  Abraham 
included  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  yet  not  one  of  those  families 
could  be  saved,  except  they  should  have  the  faith  of  faithful 
Abraham :  and  which  of  all  the  Universalist  Rabbies  can  prove 
that  God  would  compel  them  to  believe,  or  to  have  faith  in  the 
Saviour — the  seed  of  Abraham  ? 

If  the  salvation  of  the  Scriptures  is  not  to  be  extended  to  indi- 
viduals of  the  human  race,  conditionally,  then  it  would  appeal 
to  us,  that  in  the  economy  of  God's  government  of  the  world . 
means  should  have  been  arbitrarily  taken,  as  early  as  the  apos- 
tacy  of  Adam,  if  not  before,  to  have  rendered  it  impossible  for  sin 
to  have  taken  place,  if  God  does  not  like  it — and  that  he  does 
not,  is  shown  from  the  Scripture,  where  it  is  said  that  God  can- 
not look  upon  sin  with  the  least  allowance — hence,  he  was  not 
its  author,  as  he  is  not  pleased  with  it. 

There  being  many  Scriptures  which  speak  of  the  restitution 
of  all  things,  and  that  all  nations  are  yet  to  serve  Christ,  and  that 
all  tears  shall  be  wiped  from  all  eyes,  and  that  there  shall  be  no 
more  sorrow  nor  crying, — they  are  to  be  understood  as  coming  to 
pass  conditionally,  and  as  nationally.  What  though  all  nations 
may  yet  serve  Christ,  before  the  millennium,  yet  this  does  not 
prove  that  every  individual  will  do  so,  or  that  every  individual 
will  certainly  be  saved,  even  in  this  life,  according  to  the  Univer- 
salist view  of  salvation,  because  tears  are  to  be  wiped  from  all 
eyes ;  for  it  is  to  be  understood  after  all,  that  tears  can  be  wiped 
only  from  such  eyes  as  weep  ;  the  wicked  do  not  weep  much  in 
this  life, — it  is  the  righteous  who  weep,  because  it  is  through 
great  tribulation  thaMhey  enter  into  the  kingdom :  but  not  so 
the  wicked,  as  they  are  not  plagued  as  are  the  righteous,   nor 


ANGELS  OF  TIIE  SCRIPTURES,  395 

chastened,  nor  scourged,  as  sons  that  they  may  be  received  at  last. 

As  to  the  times  of  the  restitution  of  all  things  in  the  earth,  it  is 
to  be  understood  in  relation  to  the  rectifying  of  the  disorders  and 
wretchedness,  sin  has  produced  in  the  world,  the  ignorance  of 
mankind,  their  want  of  civil  governments,  in  which  the  rights 
of  man  are  to  be  known  and  respected,  as  are  at  present  in  the 
countries  of  Christendom — the  lands  of  the  Bible — and  in  no 
others  to  the  same  extent :  all  of  which,  we  owe  to  God.  through 
Jesus  Christ. 

This  will  be  a  restitution  good  enought  to  suit  a  Universalist, 
as  common  morality  is  all  the  religion  a  man  needs,  or  that  the 
Scriptures  speak  of — as  they  teach  the  people — and  such  will  be 
a  restitution  good  enough  to  answer  the  fulfilment  of  the  text  on 
that  subject,  which  the  reader  may  find  Acts,  iii.  20,  21,  and 
reads  thus  :  "  And  he  shall  send  Jesus  Christ,  which  before  was 
preached  unto  you,  whom  the  heaven  must  receive  (retain)  until 
the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things,  which  God  hatn  spoken  by 
the  mouth  of  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the  world  (the  earth) 
began  ;  for  Enoch  was  a  prophet,  and  lived  before  the  flood. 

The  phraseology  of  the  above  text,  shows  plainly,  that  from 
time  to  time,  or  from  period  to  period,  called  collectively,  times  of 
restitution,  the  influence  of  religious  truth  shall  prevail  in  the 
earth,  till  all  things  relative  to  human  happiness — so  far  as  a 
state  of  good  morals  can  bring  about — shall  be  restored,  and  man 
as  a  great  whole,  be  temporarily  happy,  or  at  least,  shall  know 
the  rights  of  both  God  and  men — which,  as  yet,  they  have  not 
fully  known. 

Till  this  is  done  by  the  influence  of  the  Bible,  the  heaven  must 
retain  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  will  come  to  gather  in  one,  all 
things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven  and  which  are  in 
earth.  This  text  is  found  Eph.  i.  10.  By  the  things  in  earth, 
we  understand  the  souls  of  men  and  their  bodies,  who  have  had 
the  faith  of  Abraham  in  its  essence  ;  and  whether  dead  or  living 
when  Christ  shall  come  from  the  heaven  now  retaining  him, 
they  shall  be  gathered  from  the  four  winds,  or  from  all  parts  of 
the  earth  and  the  sea  to  him,  to  ascend  to  heaven.  As  to  the 
things  in  heaven,  which  are  also  to  be  gathered  into  Christ,  or 
by  Christ,  we  understand  the  souls  of  all  such  as  have  died  in 
the  faith  of  Abraham,  and  are  now  in  'paradise  ;  which  we  have 
before  said  in  this  work,  is  situated  in  the  heaven  all  round  the 
globe,  where  they  are  kept  till  the  resurrection,  when  they  and 
those  on  the  earth  shall  be  all  brought  together,  to  ascend  to  the 
final  heaven  of  eternal  happiness,  with  Christ,  the  head  and 
captain  of  their  salvation.  Or  it  may  be  that  the  expressions  all 
nations  shall  serve  Christ,  means  the  glorious  time  of  the  mil- 
lenium,  which  is  to  endure  a  thousand  years,  when  truly  all 
nations  will  serve  Christ.  But  allowing  they  will,  this  circum- 
stance cannot  benefit  such  nations  and  individuals  as  have  not 


396  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

served  him.  Because  one  man  or  nation  is  good,  does  that  cir- 
cumstance ensure  that  good  man's  or  good  nation's  reward  to 
the  wicked?    Never. 

Thus  we  have,  in  a  short  way,  explained,  in  our  estimation, 
those  all  engrossing  texts  so  much  resorted  to  by  Universalists, 
by  the  use  of  our  key  text,  furnished  by  St.  Paul,  respecting 
how  to  understand  the  promise  made  to  Abraham,  which  was 
to  all  people,  on  the  condition  of  faith,  and  not  otherwise.  This 
is  not  to  be  considered  as  contradicted  by  any  of  the  prophets, 
since  the  world  began,  however  it  may  thwart  the  notion  of 
Universalists  about  an  unconditional  entrance  of  all  mankind, 
both  good  and  bad  finally  into  heaven. 

Mr.  Ballou,  Balfour,  and  all  Universalists,  make  themselves 
much  sport  in  trying  to  show  that  the  orthodox  sects  by  fair 
consequence,  make  out  the  devil  to  be  rather  more  powerful 
than  God  is,  on  account  of  his  having  far  more  subjects  among 
men  than  God  has.  But  do  Universalists  fix  things  any  better? 
We  think  not ;  for  their  devil,  the  lust  of  men,  has  full  as  many 
in  his  power,  if  not  a  great  many  more  ;  which  God  should  pre- 
vent, unless  their  lust-devil  is  supposed  by  them  to  be  somewhat 
stronger  than  God.  Universalists  allow,  nay  they  contend,  that 
all  mankind,  are  always  more  or  less  wicked  till  death,  on 
their  view  of  wickedness  ;  consequently  their  lust-devil  is  cer- 
tainly much  stronger  than  God.  Thus  we  see,  this  ridicule  of 
theirs,  in  charging  the  orthodox  with  having  a  devil  who  is 
stronger  than  God,  is  turned  upon  themselves.  But  neither  of 
these,  the  fallen  angel  of  the  orthodox  faith,  or  the  lust-devil  of 
the  Universalist  faith,  are  strong  at  all ;  only  as  human  beings 
allow  them  by  temptation  to  get  the  mastery,  which  need  not  be. 

Mr.  Ballou,  in  his  Treatise  on  Atonement,  spends  many 
pages  of  that  work  to  make  it  appear  that  if  any  of  the  human 
race  are,  or  will  be  miserable  after  death,  then  all  will  be  ;  and 
this  he  makes  out  on  the  ground  of  sympathy,  supposing  that 
all  holy  beings  must  sympathize,  and  therefore  suffer,  on  the 
account  of  those  who  are  damned.  But  this  chimera  is  refuted 
in  two  ways.  The  first  is,  from  a  consideration  that  God  is  the 
best,  the  holiest,  and  consequently  the  most  sympathetic  being 
there  is  in  existence.  Now  this  God  being  perfectly  acquainted 
with  all  the  cases  of  sufferings  and  distress,  not  only  in  this 
world,  but  in  the  universe,  and  has  from  eternity  known  this, 
and  must  continue  to  know,  even  after  all  suffering  shall  come 
to  an  end,  supposing  such  a  thing  possible  ;  is  therefore  just  as 
miserable  as  he  is  sympathetic,  on  the  position  of  Ballou,  as 
above  alluded  to  ;  and  makes  God,  therefore,  the  most  miserable 
of  all  beings,  which  all  will  at  once  deny  notwithstanding,  and 
proves  his  position  absurd.  It  is  refuted  secondly,  from  the 
possibility  that  God  may  eternally  prevent  a  thought  of  the 
sufferings  of  the  damned  ever  crossing  the  minds  of  heaven's  in- 


ANGELS    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  397 

habitants,  except  the  holy  angels,  in  whose  presence  and  that  of 
the  Lamb,  it  is  said  they  shall  be  tormented  forever  and  ever.  It 
is  refuted  on  another  view,  even  though  all  the  souls  who  shall 
be  saved  from  the  earth  should  forever  know  the  sufferings  of 
the  lost,  from  a  consideration  that  just  as  much  as  they  who  are 
saved  shall  partake  of  the  nature  of  God  in  the  quality  of  holi- 
ness, will  just  so  far  be  removed  from  a  liability  to  suffer  by 
sympathy,  on  account  of  the  sufferings  of  the  damned,  even 
though  Ballou's  doctrine  of  sympathy  suffering  were  certainly 
true  ;  for  if  God  does  not  suffer  on  that  account,  with  respect  to 
the  misery  now  endured  in  this  earth,  how  is  it  to  be  shown  that 
he  cannot  endue  those  who  shall  be  saved  in  heaven  with  as 
great  a  quantum  of  his  own  nature  as  shall  protect  them  from 
this  supposed  sampathy  suffering  ?  it  certainly  can  be  thus  sup- 
posed, and  thus  believed.  We  consider  the  position,  therefore, 
answered  and  refuted  ;  as  God  does  not  suffer  from  sympathy, 
on  account  of  the  sufferings  of  others,  as  now  experienced  in  this 
world  and  in  others ;  the  Sodomites  for  instance,  who  in  the 
time  of  St.  Jude,  were  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire 
— not  of  eternal  salvation — nor  yet  that  of  the  destruction  of 
the  Jews  by  the  Romans — who  did  not  exist  as  a  nation  by 
thirteen  hundred  years,  as  soon  as  did  the  Sodomites. 

For  salvation  from  all  sin,  Universalists  depend  on  the  opera- 
tion of  God,  to  be  exerted  in  and  upon  them  at  the  time  of  the 
general  resurrection  ;  by  which  they  contend  that  then  every 
human  being  is  to  be  treated  alike,  all  having  a  glorious  resur- 
rection, from  not  only  the  dead,  but  from  all  sin  contracted  in 
their  life  time,  so  as  to  fit  them  for  the  joys  of  heaven.  But  that 
an  equal  consequence  arising  out  of  that  great  event,  is  to  accrue 
to  all  of  the  human  race  alike,  is  shown  not  to  be  true,  from 
Heb.  xi.  35.  In  that  chapter  is  St.  Paul's  account  of  the  horrid 
suffering  of  thousands  of  Christians  in  his  time,  of  whom  he 
mentions  even  women,  who  refused  to  receive  deliverance  from 
torture  on  such  conditions  as  no  doubt  was  offered  them,  con- 
trary to  their  consciences  ;  submitting  to  death  for  Christ's  sake, 
expecting  thereby  to  have  a  better  resurrection.  This,  how- 
ever, cannot  be  true,  if  the  rusurrection  is  to  operate  on  all  alike. 
What  resurrection  did  those  martyrs  suppose  could  not  be  a 
good  one,  on  which  account  they  desired  a  better  ?  This  is 
answered  in  many  places  of  the  Scriptures,  where  it  is  said  that 
the  wicked  dead  are  to  rise  or  come  forth  to  a  resurrection  of 
damnation,  and  of  shame  and  eternal  contempt,  as  the  original 
every  where  reads.  This  only  hope  of  all  Universalists,  there- 
fore, is  in  this  Scripture  annihilated  beyond  all  doubt,  as  a  good 
and  a  bad  resurrection  are  here  spoken  of. 

In  order  to  give  God  a  good  chance  to  make  all  mankind  holy 
in  an  arbitrary  and  coercive  manner,  Universalists  suppose  the 
soul  dies  when  the  body  does,  or  sleeps,  to  say  the  least  of  it;  till 


398  HISTORY  OP  THE  FALLEN 

the  resurrection ;  this  is  their  reason  for  not  believing  in  the 
soul's  immortality ;  but  this  is  but  a  fond  chimera,  in  order  to 
save  all  who  die  in  their  sins,  notwithstanding  Christ  has  said 
that  if  a  man  dies  in  his  sins  that  he  cannot  come  where  he  is, 
the  place  which  he  has  promised  to  all  his  saints  who  shall  die 
in  the  Lord. 

It  is  said  by  the  Saviour,  respecting  Judas  his  betrayer,  that 
it  had  been  better  for  that  man  had  he  never  been  born.  Mark, 
xiv.  21.  But  if  universal  salvation  in  heaven  is  certainly  to  be 
the  lot  of  all  men,  this  Scripture  cannot  be  true  ;  as  no  matter 
how  great  a  man's  suffering  may  be  in  this  life,  if  he  goes  to 
heaven  at  last ;  it  cannot  be  said  of  him  in  any  way  it  can  be 
viewed,  that  it  would  been  better  if  he  had  not  been  born. 
Here  then  the  doctrine  of  future  sufferings  is  also  taught,  which 
no  Unversalist  can  possibly  avoid  or  subvert,  and  give  the  text 
its  full  force  and  meaning.  Even  though  it  could  be  said  of 
Judas,  that  in  addition  to  any  sufferings  he  may  have  endured 
during  his  natural  life  and  at  his  death,  he  should  suffer  in  hell 
myriads  of  ages,  and  then  be  released,  and  enter  into  a  ceaseless 
state  of  happiness,  it  could  not  be  said  with  truth,  that  it  would 
be  better  if  he  had  not  been  born.  There  is  no  way  to  make 
this  out  but  on  the  idea  of  eternal  punishment.  By  Universal- 
ist  writers,  however,  it  has  been  attempted  to  be  shown  that  the 
Saviour's  words,  "  good  were  it  for  that  man  (Judas)  if  he  had 
never  been  born,"  than  to  have  betrayed  the  son  of  man — meant 
after  all,  nothing  more  than  a  mere  allusion  to  the  sufferings  of 
Judas,  from  the  time  he  went  out  and  told  the  Sanhedrin  that 
he  had  betrayed  the  innocent  blood,  till  the  time  he  went  and 
hung  himself,  including  his  death  ;  and  that  the  words,  "good 
had  it  been,"  &c.  were  but  a  common  mode  of  expression,  then 
in  use  among  the  Jews,  when  they  wished  to  speak  of  any  one 
whose  crimes  had  rendered  them  obnoxious  to  the  laws  of  so- 
ciety. They  contend  that  the  Saviour  used  these  words  only  in 
their  common  acceptation,  as  in  use  among  the  Jews.  But  if 
so,  then  it  follows  that  the  same  might  have  been  said  by  him  in 
relation  to  all  the  Christians  of  that  day,  for  they  were  counted 
as  criminals,  and  went  to  the  death  for  their  opinions  ;  good 
then,  it  might  have  been  said,  had  they  never  been  born,  as 
Judas'  condition  was  no  worse  than  that  of  the  martyrs,  who 
were  put  to  death  in  the  most  awful  manner,  except  his  soul 
was  damned.  But  we  are  not  at  liberty  to  suppose  the  Saviour 
would  bandy  words,  or  common  place  speeches,  with  but  little 
and  uncertain  meaning,  even  allowing  the  Jews  did  often  use  it 
in  such  a  manner ;  for  all  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ  are  the 
words  of  the  eternal  God,  incarnate,  who  spoke  as  never  man 
spake. 

According  to  Universalists,  Judas  Iscariot,  in  a  few  hours  after 
his  crime,  went  directly  to  heaven,  or  to  a  peaceful  grave,  soul 


ANGELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES. 


399 


and  body,  to  await  with  all  saints  the  sound  of  the  last  trump, 
when  he  with  them,  and  all  the  good  and  the  bad  togeth- 
er, are  to  ascend  to  heaven ;  while  the  disciples,  who  did 
not  betray  Christ,  remained  on  the  earth,  some  a  longer  and 
•ome  a  shorter  time,  suffering  all  mariner  of  abuses,  and  lastly 
death,  in  the  most  shameful  manner  ;  and  gained  nothing  there- 
by, more  than  Judas  did,  who  saved  himself  the  trouble  of  a 
longer  state  of  suffering  by  his  more  sudden  death. 

Are  we  to  believe,  in  order  to  make  out  that  there  is  no  hell 
after  death,  as  do  Universalists,  that  Christ  had  no  other  allusion 
than  to  the  few  hours  of  affliction  Judas  endured,  after  he  had 
betrayed  his  master,  in  those  awful  words,  "  good  had  it  been  for 
that  man  had  he  never  been  born  ?"  We  are  not — except  we 
wish  to  charge  the  Saviour  with  a  falsehood  ;  as  except  the  soul 
of  Judas  went  to  a  ceaseless  hell  in  eternity,  the  words  he  there 
uttered  are  not  strictly  true.  Christ  came  not  into  the  world  to 
use  uncertain  language,  or  common  place  phrases,  by  which  to 
communicate  his  doctrines — but  to  speak  the  truth — to  be  a  re- 
prover— a  corrector  of  errors — a  purifyer  of  opinions  and  doc- 
trines— to  guide  men  in  all  coming  ages  till  the  end,  into  all 
truth  ;  it  is  derogatory  to  his  God-like  character  to  think  other- 
wise. Had  poor  wretched  Judas  have  known  the  doctrine  of 
Universalists,  as  to  the  final  happiness  and  holiness  of  all  men, 
how  it  would  have  buoyed  his  soul  up  with  hope  in  that  dreadful 
hour,  and  would  have  made  him  so  happy  as  that  he  might  al- 
most have  been  persuaded  to  kill  himself,  with  joy  and  triumph, 
i  nstead  of  horror. 

Whether  there  is  a  state  of  suffering  or  not  after  death,  there 
would  seem  to  be  no  doubt,  from  the  reading  of  the  73d  Psalm  ; 
and  though  we  have  so  abundantly  proved  that  there  is  in  the 
course  of  this  work,  yet  we  will  add  the  following :  David,  it 
appears,  had  nigh  well  given  up  his  religion,  and  concluded  that 
as  the  wicked  were  so  prospered  in  this  life,  that  he  had  suffered 
for  naught  in  the  cause  of  his  God  and  religion  ;  he  even  went 
so  far  as  to  say  that  he  had  cleansed  his  heart  and  washed  his 
hands  in  innocency  in  vain  ;  but  that  when  he  went  into  the 
sanctuary  God  had  shown  him  that  this  was  not  true ;  for  he 
there  discovered  that  the  end  of  the  wicked  was  to  be  damna- 
tion in  hell  after  death,  as  we  understand  him ;  then  he  made 
his  confession,  and  acknowledged  that  he  had  been  exceeding 
foolish.  See  what  he  says  of  them  in  that  Psalm  :  "  There  are 
no  bonds  (or  fears)  in  their  death,  their  strength  (of  mind  at  that 
hour,  is  firm,"  (being  ignorant.)  During  their  lifetime,  he  says 
of  them  that  they  were  not  in  trouble  as  other  men,  neither  are 
they  plagued  as  other  men.  Their  eyes  stand  out  with  fatness, 
they  have  more  than  heart  can  wish.  And  they  say,  How  doth 
God  know  l  is  there  knowledge  in  the  Most  High  ?  Behold, 
these  are  the  ungodly,  who  prosper  in  the  world."     But  what  is 


400 


HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 


the  closing  scene  respecting  them  ?  "  Surely  thou  didst  set 
them  in  slippery  places  :  thou  castedest  them  down  into  destruc- 
tion. How  are  they  brought  into  desolation  as  in  a  moment  ? 
they  are  utterly  consumed  with  terrors.  As  a  dream  when  one 
awakeneth,  so  O  Lord,  when  thou  awakest,  thou  shalt  despise 
their  image."  Now,  when  can  all  this  take  place  respecting 
these  characters  1  Certainly  not  in  this  life  ;  because  the  text- 
describes  them  as  temporally  happy  all  their  lives,  even  to  death, 
and  even  then  they  have  no  fears.  We  defy,  therefore,  all  the 
ingenuity  of  all  the  Universalists  of  Christendom,  to  save  these 
characters  from  a  state  of  suffering  after  death,  as  here  attested 
to  by  David ;  and  if  they  cannot,  then  the  hell  which  the  orthodox 
sects  believe  exists,  is  made  out.  Who  are  the  characters  in  this 
life,  whose  image  God  despises  ?  No7ie  is  our  answer  ;  for  it  is 
written,  <:  his  tender  mercies  are  over  all  his  works"  (in  this 
life.)  But  there  is  coming  a  time  when  this  will  not  be  true — a 
time  when  God  will  despise  the  image  of  the  wicked,  and  will 
utterly  destroy  them  with  terrors. 

If  Universalism  is  true,  then  the  Apostles  preached  it ;  but  if 
they  preached  the  glad  tidings  of  no  hell,  no  day  of  judgment, 
and  no  devil,  why  did  the  Pagans  persecute  them  ?  Nay,  it  was 
because  they  preached  the  exact  contrary  in  all  the  above  res 
pects.  Can  an  instance  be  found,  where  the  wicked  have  ever 
put  to  death  a  Universalist,  for  telling  them  that  these  things  do 
not  exist  ?  It  cannot.  Their  doctrine  agrees  so  well  with  the 
carnal  mind,  that  persecution  cannot  be  produced  from  that  quar- 
ter. Do  not  the  wicked,  if  they  believe  it,  rejoice  in  Universalism  ? 
as  it  offers  them  the  prospect  of  happiness  after  death,  on  which 
account  they  care  nothing  about  this  life  ?  and  no  reason  why 
they  should,  for  if  heaven  is  sure  to  all,  why  trouble  themselves 
with  self  denial  and  the  spirituality  of  orthodox  Christianity  ? 

Universalists  deny  the  doctrine  of  the  forgiveness  of  sin, 
when  men  repent  and  reform,  holding  that  the  conscience  suf- 
fers, till  divine  justice  is  satisfied  ;  on  which  account  pardon  is 
made  impossible.  But  the  Scriptures  are  against  this  dogma  of 
theirs,  which  to  prove  we  quote  as  follows  :  Col.  iii.  13,  "  For- 
bearing one  another,  and  forgiving  one  another ;  if  any  man 
have  a  quarrel  against  any,  even  as  Christ  forgave  you,  so  also 
do  ye."  In  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  doctrine  of  forgiveness  is  as 
prominent  a  doctrine  as  any  inculcated  in  it ;  which  says,  "  for- 
give us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  them  who  trespass  against 
us."  As  far  back  in  time  as  the  era  of  David,  this  doctrine  was 
believed,  even  in  the  Jewish  church  ;  see  the  32d  Psalm,  verse 
5 :  "I  acknowledge  my  sin  unto  thee,  (O  God,)  and  mine  ini- 
quity have  I  not  hid.  I  said  I  will  confess  my  transgressions 
unto  the  Lord  :  and  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin."  In 
the  same  Psalm,  at  the  1st  verse,  the  same  doctrine  is  expressed : 
"  Blessed  is  he  whose  transgression  is  forgiven"    Also  in  the 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  401 

51st  Psalm,  it  is  written  by  David  :  "  Have  mercy  upon  me  O 
God  !  according  to  thy  loving  kindness,  according  unto  the 
multitude  of  thy  tender  mercies,  blot  out  my  transgressions." 
Also,  in  Nehemiah,  ix.  17,  it  is  said  :  "  But  thou  art  a  God  ready 
to  pardon,  gracious  and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  of  great 
kindness."  Isaiah,  lv.  7,  teaches  the  same  belief,  where  it  is 
written  :  "  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous 
man  his  thoughts ;  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he 
will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abun- 
dantly PARDON." 

That  remission  of  sins  might  be  made  possible  to  man  on 
repentance,  was  the  very  object  of  the  promise  of  the  seed  of  the 
woman,  who  was  to  come.  This  we  prove  from  Luke,  xxiv. 
45,  46,  47 :  "  Then  opened  he  their  understanding,  that  they 
might  understand  the  Scriptures,  and  said  unto  them,  Thus  it  is 
written,  and  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the 
dead  the  third  day  :  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
should  be  preached  in  his  name  among  all  nations,  beginning  at 
Jerusalem."  In  this  last  quotation  it  is  shown,  that  both  the  doc- 
trine of  the  remission  of  sins,  and  that  of  repentance,  are  taught ; 
and  that  by  the  eternal  God  himself,  in  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ,  after  his  resurrection  from  the  dead  ;  and  yet  both  these 
doctrines,  so  deeply  interesting  the  character  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  the  happiness  of  all  true  penitents,  is  denied  by  Universal- 
ists,  for  the  reason  above  given.  As  it  respects  repentance,  they 
consider  this  doctrine  as  held  by  the  orthodox  and  as  taught  in 
the  Scriptures,  as  highly  licentious ;  for  say  they,  it  allows  a 
man  to  be  as  wicked  as  he  will  all  his  life  long,  providing  he 
repents  but  a  moment  before  his  death,  which  saves  him.  But 
this  is  a  false  view  of  the  subject ;  for  as  life  is  so  uncertain,  it  is 
always  recommended  to  all  men,  by  all  orthodox  ministers  of 
religion,  to  repent  now  ;  and  besides  this,  they  always  teach  the 
immense  importance  of  spending  the  whole  life  in  piety  and  re- 
ligion ;  because  they  believe  this  circumstance  will  greatly 
enhance  their  glorification  in  heaven,  as  a  reward  which  the 
righteous  judge  will  bestow  according  to  character,  at  the  gen- 
eral resurrection.  With  this  view,  are  the  doctrines  of  repent- 
ance and  pardon  licentious  ?  We  think  not ;  while  on  the  con- 
trary opinion,  as  held  by  Universalists,  namely,  that  repentance 
and  remission  are  not  possible,  we  show  that  such  an  opin- 
ion is  directly  licentious,  as  follows  :  Will  any  man  be  religious, 
or  lead  a  virtuous  life,  except  it  be  for  his  temporal  interest, 
when  he  believes  that  his  own  conscious  sufferings  when  he 
sins  will  expiate  the  guilt  ?  and  when  he  believes  that  if  he  hap- 
pens to  die  suddenly,  or  by  accident,  a  vile  and  wicked  person, 
that  the  general  resurrection  will  bring  him  up  soul  and  body, 
fitted  for  heaven  ?  We  think  not ;  and  indeed  we  aver  that  he 
will  not ;  as  such  a  conclusion  is  as  natural  as  is  effect  from 


402  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

cause.  The  charge  of  licentiousness  lies  at  the  door  of  Univer- 
salists, therefore,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  understand  the  subject. 
We  could  multiply  Scripture  quotation  to  a  great  length,  in  sup- 
port of  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  of  the  remission  of  sins,  and  of 
repentance,  but  think  the  above  sufficient.  But  some  Univer- 
salists, being  aware  how  extremely  preposterous  it  is  to  deny 
these  wholesome  and  strictly  Bible  doctrines,  confound  repent- 
ance, remission,  and  conscience  suffering,  all  together,  believing 
it  consistent  to  be  pardoned  and  punished  besides  ;  which  belief 
equally  nullifies  both  ideas  ;  for  if  a  man  is  punished  according 
to  the  demands  of  divine  justice,  how  is  he  pardoned  ?  or  if  he 
is  pardoned  how  is  he  punished  ?  We  answer,  that  on  this 
view,  punishment  and  pardon  are  both  destroyed. 

This  doctrine,  that  of  no  repentance,  and  no  remission  of 
sins,  as  bestowed  by  the  Supreme  Being  for  the  sake  of  his  Son, 
is  radically  bad  in  its  influence  on  the  morals  and  dispositions  of 
men.  But  in  what  way,  says  one  ?  As  follows,  we  reply  :  if 
God  the  best  of  beings,  will  not  pardon  offences  on  repentance, 
how  is  it  that  men  who  are  infinitely  less  good  than  God  is,  can 
pardon  each  other  ?  Most  certainly  if  God  will  not  pardon  why 
should  men  do  so  ?  As  far  as  possible,  men  should  imitate  in 
their  disposition  the  excellencies  of  their  Creator  ;  and  therefore 
if  God  will  not  pardon,  but  will  exact  punishment  in  this  life  to 
the  full  amount,  why  should  not  men  do  so  when  they  trespass 
against  each  other  ?  Such  an  influence  on  society  would  be 
very  horrible  ;  and  yet  it  is  the  direct  influence  of  the  no  par- 
don system  of  Universalists.  But  the  Scriptures  are  against  it, 
as  in  all  the  above  quotations  on  these  subjects,  and  especially 
where  it  is  writen,  that  except  men  forgive  one  another  their 
trespasses,  neither  will  God  forgive  them.  Christ  said  to  the 
man  sick  of  the  palsy,  "  Son  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  be  for- 
given thee."     Matth.  ix.  2. 

But  as  a  climax  of  inconsistency  and  perversion  of  Scripture, 
as  is  common  to  Universalists,  we  notice  Mr.  Ballou's  free  and 
fearless  use  he  has  made  of  the  4th  verse  of  the  21st  of  Rev., 
which  reads,  "  And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  (temporal)  death,  neither  sor- 
row nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain,  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away."  From  this  text  Mr.  Ballou  is 
sure  that  an  end  to  all  suffering  is  then  to  be  made — when  he 
could  but  have  known  that  the  whole  was  spoken  of  the  perse- 
vering saints,  of  whom  it  is  said  in  another  place — Rev.  ii.  10  : 
"  Be  thou  faithful  (this  was  on  condition,)  until  death,  and  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life."  We  say  he  (Ballou,)  could  have 
but  known,  that  the  above  4th  verse  of  the  21st  of  Rev.  was 
spoken  of  the  righteous  at  the  end  of  time  ;  because  the  chapter 
preceding,  namely,  the  20th  of  Rev.,  from  the  11th  to  the  15th 
verses  inclusive,  describes  the  damnation  of  the  finally  imperii- 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  403 

rent  at  the  end  of  time,  as  follows  :  "And  I  saw  a  great  white 
throne,  and  him  (Christ)  that  sat  upon  it ;  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  (its  atmosphere)  fled  away,  (into  hell,)  and 
there  was  found  no  more  place  (in  the  universe)  for  them.  And 
I  saw  the  dead,  both  small  and  great,  stand  before  God,  (Christ,) 
and  the  books  (the  Old  and  New  Testaments,)  were  opened ; 
and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life,  (in 
which  is  written  in  heaven  the  names  of  such  as  have  been 
faithful  until  death,)  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their 
works.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  that  were  in  it,  and  death 
(the  grave.)  and  hell,  (or  hades.)  delivered  up  the  dead  which 
were  in  them,  and  they  were  judged  every  man  according  to  his 
works,  (to  consist  in  degrees  suited  in  severity  to  their  charac- 
ters, but  all  eternal,  as  God's  judgments  are  eternal.)  And  death 
and  hell  (the  globe  and  hades,  which  is  in  its  centre,)  were  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire  :  this  is  the  second  death.  And  whosoever 
was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire,"  or  the  second  death.  But  as  it  respected  the  righteous, 
who  had  been  faithful  until  death,  a  crown  of  life  was  given  to 
every  one  of  them,  and  from  whose  eyes  accordingly  all  tears 
were  wiped  away.  How,  therefore,  Mr.  Ballou  can  infer,  that 
in  the  above  acount  St.  John  has  made  no  difference  between 
the  finally  good  and  finally  bad,  at  the  day  of  judgment,  is 
strange.  Now,  could  we  but  believe  as  Universalists  do,  we 
should  immediately  discover  that  all  those  of  whom  the  Revela- 
tor  speaks,  when  he  says  that  "whosoever  was  not  found  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire," — that  this 
lake  of  fire  is  nothing  after  all  but  the  fire  of  God's  love — the 
fire  of  the  Holy  Ghost — or  the  fire  of  the  destruction  of  the  Jews 
by  the  Romans — the  fire  of  salvation  from  alll  sin — then  we 
might  say  with  Mr.  Ballou,  that  sure  enough,  there  should  be 
no  more  sorrow,  nor  crying,  nor  sighing,  nor  any  more  pain, 
except  what  the  captive  Jews  might  cry  and  feel.  But  this  is 
not  so  ;  as  in  the  operation  of  the  real  fire  of  salvation,  there  is 
no  mention  made  of  brimstone,  as  is  in  the  case  of  the  fire  of 
the  hell  of  the  damned — which  is  a  very  remarkable  distinction, 
which,  if  it  is  foolish  and  absurd,  the  matter  lies  between  God 
and  those  who  disbelieve  it.  There  was  no  brimstone  used  at 
the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  was  there  ?  The  result,  therefore,  is, 
that  no  more  sorrow  and  crying  is  to  be  feared  or  felt  by  the 
finally  righteous,  after  the  day  of  final  account ;  while  to  the 
other  there  is  to  be  no  end  of  sorrows. 


404  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 


Shapes  of  Spirits,  both  Good  and  Bad. 

As  to  the  forms  or  shapes  of  evil  spirits,  in  their  natural  or 
first  condition,  immediately  after  their  fall,  or  at  the  present  time, 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  but  they  retain  the  same  which  they 
had  before  their  fall — except  the  lineaments  of  innocency,  hap- 
piness, and  glory  of  their  first  condition  has  departed.  But  what 
was  their  first  shape  or  fashion  of  existence  ?  This  can  be  answered 
in  no  way  but  by  ascertaining  what  the  shape  of  those  angels  was 
who  never  fell  from  their  first  condition  in  which  they  were  crea- 
ted. And  as  to  the  shape  of  such  angels,  we  have  no  clue  by 
which  to  ascertain  their  forms,  except  those  instances  in  which 
they  have  appeared  to  men  ;  and  those  have  always  been  in  the 
human  form,  clothed  with  wings,  or  with  white  robes.  To  prove 
this,  we  bring  forward  the  Bible  accounts  of  such  appearances. 
And  in  doing  this,  we  shall  avoid  all  those  cases  in  which  there 
is  a  doubt  whether  the  being  called  an  angel  was  a  man  or  a 
spirit;  and  those  other  cases,  where  angels  are  spoken  of,  of 
whom  there  is  no  doubt  of  their  being  spirits,  but  their  forms 
are  not  specified.  But  such  as  are  specified,  are  as  follows : 
Judges,  xiii.  read  the  whole  chapter,  and  it  will  appear  that  the 
angel  was  in  the  form  of  a  man,  because  the  wife  of  Manoah, 
and  the  mother  of  Samson,  speaks  of  him  to  her  husband  as 
being  a  man,  not  knowing  at  first  to  the  contrary.  But  the 
sequel,  which  is  found  at  the  20th  verse,  shows  him  to  have  been 
a  spirit ;  for  when  the  flame  of  the  sacrifice,  which  Manoah  of- 
fered to  the  Lord  on  a  rock,  the  angel  ascended  in  the  flame  up 
toward  heaven  ;  which  a  mere  man  could  not  have  done.  At 
the  6th  verse  of  this  chapter,  the  wife  of  Manoah  said  to  her 
husband,  in  describing  the  looks  of  the  man  who  had  been  at 
their  house  in  "  his  absence,  that  his  countenance  (or  face)  was 
like  an  angel  of  God,  very  terrible." 

Daniel,  viii.  21,  "  Yea,  whiles  I  was  speaking  in  prayer,  even 
the  man  Gabriel,  whom  I  had  seen  in  the  vision,  at  the  begin- 
ning, being  caused  to  fly  swiftly,  touched  me  about  the  time  of 
the  evening  oblation,"  and  informed  him  of  things  to  come  in 
after  times,  respecting  the  Messiah.  The  proof  that  this  man 
called  Gabriel,  was  a  spirit,  is  that  he  flevi,  or  was  caused,  as 
the  text  reads,  "  to  fly  swiftly"  and  to  reveal  to  Daniel  things  in 
futurity.  Can  a  man  fly?  We  know  they  cannot;  this  then 
was  a  supernatural  angel,  and  his  form  was  that  of  a  man,  or 
Daniel  would  not  have  called  him  a  man,  if  he  had  not  been  in 
that  form. 

This  same  angel,  who  appeared  to  Daniel,  about  five  hundred 
years  afterwards  appeared  to  Zacharias,  at  a  time  when  he  was 
within  the  holy  of  holies  in  the  temple,  offering  the  annual 
oblation,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses,  and  said  to  him,  "I  am 


ANGELS  Oy  THE  SCRIPTURES. 


405 


Gabriel,  that  stand  m  the  presence  of  God.  and  am  sent  to  speak 
unto  thee."  The  proof  that  this  Gabriel  was  a  spirit  in  the  form 
of  a  man,  is  that  no  man  was  allowed  to  enter  the  holy  of  holies, 
except  the  High  Priest,  and  him  hut  once  a  year.  And  further, 
m  proof  that  he  was  a  spirit,  when  Zachanas  came  out  of  the 
holy  of  holies,  or  from  behind  the  veil  of  the  temp  le,  he  was  dumb 
and  could  not  speak,  by  which  they  perceived  that  lie  had  seen 
:i  vision.  Luke,  i.  19,  22.  It  was  this  same  angel  who  an- 
nounced to  Mary,  the  mother  of  our  Lord's  human  nature,  that 
the  Messiah  should  be  born  of  her ;  as  that  same  angel  who 
appeared  to  her  is  called  Gabriel.  Luke,  i.  26  to  33  inclusive. 
It  was  in  the  form  of  a  man,  that  the  anc{el  appeared,  who  came 
and  rolled  away  the  great  stone  which  had  been  placed  at  the 
door  of  the  tomb,  where  the  Saviour's  body  was  laid  after  his 
crucifixion;  see  Matth.  xxviii.  2,  3,  "And  behold  there  was  a 
great  earthquake :  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from 
heaven,  and  came  and  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door 
and  sat  upon  it.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and 
his  raiment  white  as  snow  ;  and  for  fear  of  him  the  keepers  (the 
Roman  guard,)  did  shake,  and  became  as  dead  men."  The 
proof  that  this  same  angel  was  in  the  form  of  a  man,  is  found 
in  Mark,  xvi.  o,  6:  "  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre  they,  (the 
women,  Mary  and  others.)  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the 
right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white  garment ;  and  they  were 
affrighted.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  be  not  afFrighted.  Ye  seek 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  crucified :  he  is  risen ;  he  is  not 
here :  behold  the  place  where  tiiey  laid  him."  The  proof  that 
this  angel  was  also  a  spirit,  is  that  he,  "  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
descended  from  heaven."  The  same  is  shown  also,  from  St. 
Luke,  xxiv.  4  :  -And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  (the  women,  Mary 
and  others,)  were  much  perplexed  thereabout,  behold,  two  men 
stood  by  them  in  shining  garments  ;  (such  no  doubt  as  adorned 
the  Saviour,  when  he  was  transfigured  on  the  mount,  when 
his  raiment  became  shining,  exceeding  white  as  snow,  so  as  no 
fuller  on  earth  can  while  them,)  and  as  they  (the  women,)  were 
afraid,  and  bowed  down  their  faces  to  the  earth,  they  (the  an- 
gels,) said  unto  them,  He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen." 

The  account  given  of  the  angels  who  appeared  to  the  women, 
who  went  to  the  tomb  of  the  Saviour,  by  Matthew,  Mark,  and 
Luke,  is  very  similar  to  another  account,  found  in  Daniel,  x.  5, 
90  far  as  relates  to  the  form  and  appearance  of  angels,  which 
reads  as  follows  :  -Then  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes,  and  looked,  and 
behold  a  certain  man  clothed  in  linen,  whose  loins  were  girded 
with  fine  gold  of  Uphaz:  his  body  was  like  the  beryl,  (a  bluish 
ereen  pelucid  hue.)  and  his  face  as  the  appearance  of  lightning, 
and  his  eyes  as  lamps  of  fire,  and  hi^  arms  and  his  feet  like  in 
color  to  polnhcd  bra^.  and  the  voice  of  his  words  like  the  voice 

30 


406  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

of  a  multitude."  How  wonderful  a  being  was  this  ;  yet  his 
shape  was  that  of  man:  how  ennobled  and  glorious  the  human 
form,  if  even  the  heavenly  hosts  have  this  form,  and  worthy 
therefore  being  redeemed,  to  be  raised  from  the  dead,  and  to 
live  forever  in  heaven,  when  it  shall  be  made  like  unto  Christ's 
glorious  body.  And  how  does  that  glorious  body  look  ?  see 
Rev.  i.  from  13  to  15  inclusive  :  "  And  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
candlesticks  (John  saw)  one  like  unto  the  son  of  man,  clothed 
with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  (the 
bosom,)  with  a  golden  girdle.  His  head  and  his  hairs  were 
white  like  wool,  as  white  as  snow ;  and  his  eyes  as  a  flame 
of  fire  ;  and  his  feet  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a 
furnace  ;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many  waters,"  in  com- 
motion. This  was  the  Son  of  God,  Rev.  ii.  IS,  and  was  also 
the  Alpha  and  Omega,  Rev.  i.  11. 

As  to  the  form  of  departed  human  spirits,  we  believe  they 
retain  the  same  shape  as  when  connected  with  their  bodies,  and 
that  that  shape  is  the  same  as  is  the  body.  Our  proof  of  this,  is 
the  appearance  of  Moses  and  Elijah,  on  mount  Tabor,  when  the 
Saviour  was  transfigured,  in  the  presence  of  three  of  his  disciples, 
who  immediately  knew  Moses  and  Elijah,  because  they  ap- 
peared in  their  original  shape,  as  when  in  this  life,  or  the  disci- 
ples could  never  have  distinguished  them  as  being  of  the  human 
kind,  were  it  not  for  this  reason.  And  if  we  ascertain  that  even 
one  departed  spirit  is  of  the  human  form,  we  gain  the  principle, 
which  establishes  that  all  are  the  same.  Many  instances  of  the 
appearance  of  human  spirits  might  here  be  given,  if  history  and 
credible  accounts  might  be  allowed  as  evidence  ;  but  we  desist, 
as  we  wish  to  build  all  our  remarks,  deductions,  and  inferences, 
in  this  work,  on  the  statements  of  Scripture,  and  that  alone.  But 
all  such  appearances  have  ever  been  reported  to  have  been  in 
the  human  form,  who  have  been  seen  by  mortals. 

By  the  foregoing,  we  think  we  have  clearly  established,  that 
the  form  of  angels  is  that  of  the  human  form:  and  therefore, 
think  we  have  also  ascertained,  such  to  be  the  form  of  Satan 
and  his  angels ;  though  shorn  of  their  first  splendor  by  the  ruin 
of  their  apostacy,  and  the  damnation  of  their  being.  So  that 
were  they  permitted  to  appear  in  their  true  form,  all  that  distin- 
guishes the  happy  angels  of  heaven,  would  appear  in  these  lost 
spirits,  in  an  inverse  degree  ;  all  that  is  glorious  in  one,  would 
be  all  that  is  horrible  in  the  other  ;  other  language  we  have  not, 
by  which  to  describe  beings  so  lost,  so  ruined,  so  thunder 
scarred,  and  burnt  by  the  blast  of  the  just  vengeance  of  the 
Eternal.  But  by  what  means  evil  spirits,  as  stated  in  Scripture, 
got  possession  of  human  souls  and  bodies,  is  not  revealed  ;  the 
facts  are  stated,  but  the  manner  is  conjecture.  We  know,  that 
in  the  common  walks  of  life,  the  associations  of  man  with  man, 
that  one  person's  spirit  influences  another:  and  so  powerfully, 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  407 

that  not  unfrequently  the  ruin  of  a  fellow  associate  is  secured  ; 
while  a  contrary  influence  is  also  often  exerted  by  the  good,  and 
result  in  consequences  as  felicitous  as  the  other  is  disastrous. 
The  whole  intercourse  of  men  is  carried  on  by  spiritual  influ- 
ence; which  is  evident  when  two  persons  converse,  or  when 
ideas  are  exchanged,  by  voice,  by  signs,  or  by  writing ;  all  is  the 
work  of  mind,  and  mind  is  spirit.  The  body  has  nothing  to 
do  in  this  matter,  and  knows  no  more  about  the  operations  of 
the  mind,  no,  not  even  the  brain,  than  the  chariot  which  con- 
veys us  when  we  ride  for  our  pleasure,  or  the  ship  which  bears 
its  tonnage  in  gold,  from  one  port  to  another.  The  body  fur- 
nished with  a  tongue,  with  lips  and  the  organs  of  speech,  is  that 
mode,  by  the  means  of  which,  we  commonly  communicate  ideas, 
and  is  adapted  to  this  state  of  existence.  But  this  circumstance 
cannot  preclude  the  idea  that  there  exists  no  other  modes  by 
which  spirits,  without  corporeal  bodies,  may  operate  upon,  or 
influence  other  spirits  than  themselves,  either  for  good  or  evil. 
If  it  does,  then  all  the  spiritual  beings  of  another  state,  are  with- 
out the  means  of  association,  a  condition  far  inferior  to  us.  But 
this  is  not  so,  as  can  easily  be  shown,  from  the  evidence  there  is 
of  the  happy  state  of  the  society  of  the  blessed,  in  communion 
with  God,  and  association  with  each  other.  If  then  we  per- 
ceive, that  in  the  economy  of  the  Creator  toward  rational  exis- 
tences, society  itself  is  based  upon  the  power  of  spiritual  influ- 
ence, whether  with  a  body  or  without  one,  then  a  possibility 
presents  itself  of  such  spirits  as  have  no  corporeal  bodies,  influ- 
encing such  as  have. 

But  how  a  thought  can  be  suggested  to  the  mind  of  man, 
without  the  means  of  sound  or  signs,  by  a  spirit,  is  undefina- 
ble  by  human  powers ;  yet  such  is  the  fact,  as  can  be  shown 
from  God's  own  word,  who  certainly  knows  what  is  the  truth 
on  this  subject ;  see  Acts,  v.  3,  "  But  Peter  said,  Ananias  why 
hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost."  And 
another  case,  similar  to  that  of  Ananias,  is  that  of  Judas,  in  his 
treachery  to  his  Lord ;  see  Luke,  xxii.  3,  4,  «  Then  Satan  en- 
tered into  Judas,  and  he  went  his  way  and  communed  with  the 
chief  priests  and  captains,  how  he  might  betray  him  (the  Sa- 
viour) unto  them."  Is  it  not  clear,  therefore,  that  Satan  sug- 
gested tins  thought  to  the  mind  of  Judas  ?  and  is  it  not  this 
which  is  meant  by  the  words,  "then  entered  Satan  into  Judas," 
by  influencing  his  mind  in  addressing  the  suggestion  to  his  con- 
stitutional or  besetting  sin,  which  was  doubtless  covetousness, 
but  might  have  been  resisted,  as  there  were  reasons  why  he 
should  not  have  acquiesced,  of  far  greater  weight  than  those  by 
which  he  allowed  himself  to  be  led  and  overcome  ? 

Good  spirits  likewise  have  power  to  suggest  thoughts  to  the 
minds  of  men,  as  can  be  proven  from  many  places  in  the  Bible  ; 
as  when  angels  are  said  to  have  appeared  to  any  one  in  a  dream, 


408  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

or  in  a  vision,  in  open  conversation  or  by  impressions,  as  in  the 
case  of  St.  Paul,  while  tossing  about  in  the  Adriatic  sea,  exposed 
every  moment  to  be  plunged  to  the  bottom ;  he  says,  "  there 
stood  by  me  this  night  the  angel  of  God. . .  .saying,  fear  not 
Paul,  thou  must  be  brought  before  Caesar ;  and  lo,  GJod  hath 
given  thee  all  them  that  sail  with  thee  f  how  good  a  thing  it  is 
sometimes,  for  the  wicked  to  be  in  company  with  a  good  man. 
It  does  not  appear  that  Paul  saw  the  angel ;  yet  he  knew  that 
one  had  stood  by  him  that  night,  while  he  no  doubt  was  praying 
for  his  own  life,  on  account  of  the  infant  cause  of  Christianity, 
but  also  for  the  lives  of  the  ship's  company  ;  and  knew,  from  a 
powerful  and  sudden  impression,  that  his  prayer  should  be  an- 
swered. Joseph,  the  husband  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus  the 
Saviour,  was  warned  in  a  dream,  to  flee  into  Egypt,  to  save  the 
life  of  the  child.  St.  Peter  also,  and  the  Centurion,  were  both 
the  subjects  of  visions;  in  which  one  of  them,  namely,  Corne- 
lius, wras  warned  of  God  by  a  holy  angel,  to  send  for  Peter, 
This  angel  he  saw  evidently  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day, 
of  whom  he  enquired  what  he  should  do.     Acts,  x.  3,  4. 

It  is  not  contrary  to  the  laws  of  eternity,  or  of  invisible  beings, 
to  commune  or  to  converse  with  mortals ;  for  even  God  him- 
self, is  said  frequently  to  have  done  this,  as  in  the  case  of  Moses, 
who  talked  face  to  face  with  him,  though  invisible.  Also,  he 
conversed  with  Solomon  twice  ;  but  these  cases  was  in  a  dream, 
in  which  it  is  said  that  God  appeared  to  Solomon — see  2d 
Chron.  vii.  12 — and  related  to  that  monarch  that  he  had  heard 
his  prayer  ;  and  that  he  would  answer  it,  and  fulfill  all  that  he 
had  promised  to  David  his  father,  if  he,  Solomon,  and  the  Jews 
would  keep  his  law. 

Agreeable  to  this  rule  of  spiritual  impressions,  we  do  not  doubt 
that  the  whole  race  of  man,  including  every  individual  who  has 
the  use  of  right  reason,  are  from  time  to  time,  more  or  less  the 
subjects  of  supernatural  impressions,  as  carried  on  by  both  good 
and  bad  spirits,  as  well  as  by  the  Most  High  himself;  and  that 
those  spiritual  impressions  are  intended  for  the  good  and  ill  of 
mortals;  by  which  human  spirits  now  on  probation  may  be 
profited  or  damaged  as  they  may  choose  to  make  use  of  such 
impressions. 

It  is  said  in  the  New  Testament — see  Acts,  vii.  53 — by  St. 
Stephen,  when  about  to  be  stoned  to  death,  that  the  Jews  had 
even  received  the  law  by  the  disposition  of  angels,  but  that  they 
had  not  kept  it.  The  whole  Scriptures  are  but  one  continued 
proof  of  the  assiduity  and  care  of  good  spirits  in  another  world  ; 
as  also  the  malevolence  and  assiduity  of  evil  spirits  to  injure 
mankind.  In  proof  of  this  last  idea,  we  bring  the  case  of  Ahab, 
one  of  the  kings  of  Israel — see  1st  Kings,  xxii.  from  the  19th  to 
the  23d  verse  inclusive — where  the  anxiety  of  an  evil  spirit,  or 
one  of  the  fallen  angels,  is  manifested,  to  go  and  influence  Ahab 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  4()l.i 

to  go  to  the  field  of  battle  that  he  might  there  be  slain  ;  see  the 
20th  and  2lst  verses  of  this  chapter,  which  are  exceedingly  in- 
teresting, as  follows:  '-And  the  Lord  said,  who  shall  persuade 
Ahab,  that  he  may  go  up  and  fall  at  Ivamoth-gilead  ?  And  one 
said  on  this,  and  another  said  on  that  manner.  And  there 
came  forth  a  spirit,  and  stood  before  the  Lord,  and  sad,  / 
will  persuade  him  ;';  which  lie  did,  and  was  the  cause  of  Allah's 
death  ;  for  lie  was  persuaded  by  this  lying  spirit  in  the  mouths 
of  Ahab's  false  prophets,  to  go  to  the  battle,  who  said  he  should 
return  in  safety ;  but  this  was  false,  as  he  died  on  the  day  of  bat 
tie,  from  the  wound  of  an  arrow,  shot  at  a  venture,  which  entered 
his  body  between  the  joints  of  his  coat  of  mail.  Does  not  this 
fact  prove  also,  beyond  a  doubt,  the  real  existence  of  evil  angels; 
for  we  see  he  became  a  lying  spirit  in  the  mouths  of  the  false 
prophets,  to  the  ruin  of  Ahab — a  work  which  a  good  angel  could 
not  engage  in. 

Philip,  also,  was  directed  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord  to  go  and 
baptize  the  Ethiopian.  Acts,  viii.  26.  Peter  was  released  from 
prison  by  the  ministration  of  an  angel.  Acts,  v.  19.  Many 
other  instances  of  spiritual  impression,  by  dream,  by  vision,  and 
open  sight,  might  be  brought  from  the  Scriptures,  as  evidence 
of  our  position,  but  let  these  suffice. 

If  then  we  have  succeeded  in  showing  that  spirits  can  and  do 
influence  spirit,  both  good  and  bad — natural  and  supernatural, 
we  are  now  prepared,  in  a  measure,  to  show  how  Satan,  and 
evil  sprits,  may  have  had,  in  ancient  times,  and  even  now,  can 
have  the  possession  of  the  souls  and  bodies  of  such  as  give  them- 
selves into  his  power— even  in  this  life.  In  order  to  investigate 
this  mysterious  subject,  we  shall  bring  to  our  aid,  the  all  pow- 
erful principle  of  faith — a  fact  of  the  utmost  importance  to 
Christian  theology,  as  well  as  to  all  other  systems,  whether  reli- 
gious or  political — for  it  is  said  as  a  starting  point,  "  that  he  that 
cometh  to  God  must  believe  that  hew;"  by  which  immense 
and  unending  consequences,  to  the  human  soul,  as  well  as  body, 
are  effected.  And  by  a  parity  of  reasoning,  may  it  not  be  said 
also  of  such  as  do  believe  in  the  being  of  Satan,  that  they  may, 
if  they  will,  of  a  set  and  intense  purpose,  come  as  nigh  to  him, 
and  receive  of  his  nature,  in  evil  influence,  equally  as  much  as 
the  same  set  and  intense  purpose,  would  procure  to  the  soul 
and  body  of  a  man  of  an  opposite  and  good  inilnencc  in  drawing 
nigh  to  God  )  If  a  man  can  be  as  holy  as  is  possible,  he  also 
can  be  as  wicked  as  is  possible  ;  and  who  can  mark  the  boun- 
daries of  either  of  those  principles,  even  in  this  life?  It  cannot 
be  ascertained. 

The  power  of  fa ith  and  prayer,  have  been  in  all  a^es,  the 
most  effective  means  in  conforming  and  influencing  the  soul  to 
holy  affections,  and  religious  happiness  :  so  much  so,  that  the 
mind  may  in  deed,  and  in  truth,  commune  with  God  face  to 


410  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

face,  though  to  the  mortal,  God  is  invisible,  yet  that  circum- 
stance makes  no  difference,  because  faith  to  the  soul  is  as  sight 
to  the  body,  and  equally  convincing  and  satisfactory.  Can  this 
be  otherwise  l  seeiug  that  Enoch  was  translated  by  faith  from 
earth  to  heaven,  as  stated  Heb.  xi.  5.  Was  it  not  by  this  princi- 
ple, that  Elisha  the  prophet,  drew  around  him,  while  at  Dotham, 
— being  hemmed  in  by  the  Assyrian  army — an  exceeding  great 
host  of  angels,  so  that  he  said  to  his  frightened  servant,  Gehiza, 
"  they  that  be  with  us,  are  more  than  they  that  be  with  them  ?" 
2d  Kings,  vi.  16.  By  this  principle,  thousands  and  millions 
have  died  with  transports^  while  characters  of  an  opposite  cast, 
have  departed  with  curses  and  blasphemies  burning  on  their 
tongues,  or  in  stupid  and  sullen  insensibility  of  mind,  of  which 
infidels  make  their  boast.  Now,  is  not  this  perfectly  reason- 
able, and  in  accordance  with  the  Scriptures  ?  for  it  is  written, 
"driw  nigh  to  God,  and  he  will  draw  nigh  to  you."  James,  iv. 
8 — but  how  nigh  is  not  stated.  And  by  a  parity  of  reasoning, 
may  it  not  be  said,  he  that  draws  nigh  to  the  devil,  in  ardor  of 
desire  to  become  exceedingly  wicked,  that  the  devil  will  draw 
nigh  to  him  ? 

It  is  said  by  James,  iv.  7  :  "  Resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee 
from  you ;"  and  of  course,  if  he  is  not  resisted,  he  will  not  fly 
from  us,  but  come  nigher  and  nigher,  as  our  conduct  and  evil 
affections  may  invite ;  even  till  a  complete  possession  takes 
place,  as  can  be  proved,  both  from  Scripture  and  otherwise. 

But  as  to  certain  arts,  by  which  evil  spirits  can  be  evoked, 
there  is  no  doubt,  yet  little  is  known  of  such  things  in  Christian 
countries.  But  among  nations  not  blessed  with  the  salvation  of 
Christianity,  they  are  known,  or  ancient  history,  with  the  Bible 
itself,  is  not  to  be  relied  on.  To  this  very  point,  see  Acts,  xix.  19, 
"  And  many  of  them  that  used  curious  arts,  brought  their  books 
together,  and  burned  them," — it  is  clear  that  at  the  time  of  the 
Saviour's  ministry,  the  Jews  had  among  them  many  demoniacs, 
as  well  as  the  Gentiles,  and  wherever  the  Gospel  was  carried, 
multitudes  of  evil  spirits  were  dispossessed  of  their  prey,  by  its 
power,  and  that  on  that  very  circumstance  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  acquired  its  celebrity,  as  being  of  heavenly  origin — "  un- 
clean spirits,  crying  with  loud  voices,  came  out  of  many,"  in 
subjection  to  that  name.  Acts,  viii.  7. 

Were  we  to  travel  in  those  countries,  at  the  present  time, 
where  the  devil  is  worshipped  systematically,  as  in  some  parts  of 
Persia,  about  the  ancient  site  of  Ninevah,  in  Ceylon,  Burmah, 
Bagdad,  and  many  parts  of  the  East  Indies,  and  other  heathen 
countries,  and  were  we  particularly  acquainted  with  circum- 
stances and  things  relative  to  the  effects,  we  should  find  equally 
as  many,  even  now,  who  are  possessed  with  devils,  or  evil  spirits, 
as  in  the  time  of  the  Saviour  ;  as  there  is  no  good  reason  why 
not. 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  411 

As  to  the  manner  by  which  evil  spirits,  in  ancient,  or  modern 
times,  o^ot  the  possession  of  human  beings,  is  a  matter  of  pure 
conjecture,  as  before  remarked,  and  therefore,  we  proceed  on  that 
ground  to  ascertain  the  manner  of  such  possessions.  It  is  a  fact 
we  believe,  that  the  human  constitution  of  mind  is  more  inclined 
to  sad  and  sorrowful  sensations  than  to  joyful  ones.  This  we 
believe,  is  the  universal  experience  ;  and  if  a  happy  sensation 
crosses  the  mind,  it  is  the  offspring  of  hope,  or  of  labored  excite- 
ment, while  the  general  tenor  of  the  feelings  of  the  soul  are  tinc- 
tured with  gloom,  and  tending  to  ferocity.  This  is  everwhere 
known  to  be  the  case,  among  savage  nations,  and  would  be  our 
condition,  were  it  not  for  the  labors  of  social,  and  Christian  edu- 
cation, which  goes  to  counteract  that  natural  state  of  mind  ;  yet 
even  under  this  influence,  the  tenor  of  the  mind  is  to  sadness, 
the  genuine  offspring  of  the  fall.  Concerning  this,  it  is  said  in 
Scripture,  2d  Cor.  vii.  10,  that  the  "  sorrow  of  this  world  work- 
eth  death  f  and  who  can  define  in  how  many  different  ways? 
as  when  it  is  deep  and  poignant,  distraction  and  self-murder  are 
its  consequences,  not  unfrequently,  in  all  ages  of  the  world. 
But  if  the  sorrows  of  this  world  do  not  always  lead  to  such  ends, 
yet  persons  of  a  more  than  ordinary  desponding  cast  of  consti- 
tution, by  giving  way  to  fits  of  melancholly,  to  rage  and  anger, 
unrestrained,  and  to  murmuring  against  God's  providence,  being 
dissatisfied  with  all  the  circumstances  of  life,  fancying  that  every 
one  is  against  them,  and  that  God  is  their  enemy, — it  seldom 
fails  but  such  persons  become  dangerous  characters  in  society. 
Their  manners  arc  uninviting  and  gloomy,  seeming  to  be  dis- 
tressed when  any  one  is  prospered,  and  to  rejoice  and  show  signs 
of  pleasure,  when  any  one  is  ruined  in  character  or  property. 
They  seek  to  be  alone,  and  to  wander  in  the  dark',  and  in  soli- 
tudes, avoiding  human  society  as  much  as  their  necessities  will 
admit  of,  invariably  fixing  the  impression,  when  met  with,  that 
they  are  possessed  with  a  devil,  or  some  extraordinary  affection. 
If  the  passions  of  hatred  and  revenge  in  any  one,  are  secretly 
indulged,  meditating  mischief  continually,  toward  the  cause  of 
their  dislike,  deeply  imbuing  the  love  of  unbounded  injury,  so 
as  at  times  to  gnash  the  teeth  in  secret ;  and  if  this  state  of  mind 
it  suffered  to  continue,  it  will  increase  in  malignity,  till  reason  is 
dethroned,  or  not  allowed  to  operate,  when  the  person  is  a  ma- 
niac ;  and  it  may  be  said  that  Satan  has  the  possession-  Their 
looks  denote  it,  the  eye  beaming  with  a  fearful  glare,  is  never 
irradiated  with  a  smilo,  the  hair  is  suffered  to  grow  till  long  and 
tangled,  the  clothes  become  neglected  and  filthy — indifference  of 
food  takes  place,  till  nearly  starved,  or  else  cramming  at  times 
beyond  all  human  appetite — universal  ruin  and  death  is  the 
climax. 

There  are  many  courses  which  produce  distraction  ;  as  exces- 
sive jealousy,  excessive  and  inordinate  lovc;  excessive  oppres- 


412  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

sion,  and  religious  despair  and  fanaticism,  all  of  which  are  of  the 
devil,  and  avenues  by  which  devils  may  enter  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  mind,  and  the  passions  of  the  human  race,  and  have 
so  done  in  thousands  of  instances,  as  we  believe.  Hopeless 
revenge  for  irreparable  injuries,  as  in  cases  of  inconstancy  be- 
tween lovers,  husbands  and  wives,  have  produced  shocking-  cases 
of  Satanic  possession,  so  judged  to  be  from  the  malignancy 
shown  in  their  behaviour.  Some  have  gone  distracted  in  a  few 
hours,  from  a  lit  of  anger.  A  certain  person  known  to  the  wri- 
ter, who  had  been  religiously  affected  by  the  preaching  of  a 
certain  order  of  Christians,  which  her  husband  opposed,  to  that 
degree,  by  way  of  hectoring  and  tormenting  her,  till  at  a  certain 
time  she  gave  way  to  a  burst  of  passion,  instead  of  prayer,  when 
she  threw  a  brickbat  at  her  husband,  with  all  the  violence  of 
intended  murder,  and  that  moment  lost  her  reason,  and  never 
recovered  it  again. 

Another  instance,  though  of  a  different  cast,  is  known  to  the 
writer,  of  a  woman,  whose  natural  temper  was  of  the  fractious 
and  irrascible  description,  in  which  she  had  through  life  in- 
dulged in  a  very  extraordinary  manner,  rendering  herself  ex- 
tremely disagreeable  to  her  family  and  all  about  her.  At  a  cer- 
tain time,  a  daughter  of  hers,  a  young  lady  of  mature  age,  became 
religiously  concerned,  and  continued  thus  about  two  weeks, 
when  she  experienced  comfort,  through  faith  in  the  Saviour  of 
men.  At  which  time,  her  mother,  who  had  during  the 'concern 
of  the  daughter  made  some  opposition,  became  also  concerned 
on  the  same  account,  especially  when  she  witnessed  the  happi- 
ness of  her  child,  and  the  praise  she  gave  to-  a  God  of  love.  She 
immediately  took  to  her  bed,  and  wept  on  account  of  her  condi- 
tion, as  was  supposed,  for  about  twenty- four  hours;  when  she 
burst  out  into  a  rage  of  profane  and  blasphemous  language,  too 
horrible  for  mortal  ear,  and  went  immediately  distracted.  She 
continued  nine  years  in  that  condition,  chained  most  of  the  time ; 
and  died  without  any  change  for  the  better,  a  spectacle  of  horror 
and  dismay.  She  was  undoubtedly  possessed  of  a  devil,  as  all 
who  beheld  her  were  of  that  opinion ;  which  condition  was 
brought  about,  first,  from  so  long  indulgence  in  angry  disposi- 
tion ;  and  second,  because  she  resisted  conviction  for  sm ;  and 
probably  cursed  the  cause  in  her  heart,  and  became  a  maniac. 

There  arc  others,  who  from  one  degree  of  spiritual  wicked- 
ness to  another,  progress  till  a  self-willed  sufficiency  takes  place 
in  the  mind ;  so  much  so  as  that  they  fancy  themselves  some 
important  supernatural  character,  as  the  Messiah,  a  prophet,  or 
some  extraordinary  messenger  of  providence,  and  claim  atten- 
tion and  honor  accordingly. 

This  sort,  by  way  of  sanctity  and  self  importance,  allow  their 
hair  and  beards  to  grow  its  full  length,  putting  on  distracted  airs, 
affecting  to  converse  with  spirits,  and  invisible  beings  ;  and  who 


AN'OELS  OF  THE    SCRIPTURES.  413 

can  say  they  do  not  ?  by  which  they  acquire  the  dread  of  all 
men,  however  lbrtified  by  philosophy,  or  even  religion  itself. 
By  pursuing  this  course,  the  restraining  influence  of  God's  good 
spirit  leaves  them  to  the  full  operation  of  all  evil,  when  Satan 
takes  possession.  Now  the  man  is  prepared  for  wickedness  by 
rule  :  no  human  face  can  daunt  him,  no  threatened  punishment 
is  dreaded,  he  becomes  incased  in  his  own  fury  and  self-will,  so 
that  a  terror  seems  to  surround  him,  a  kind  01  unearthly  influ- 
ence is  found  creeping  over  us  if  he  approaches.  If  their  opin- 
ions and  assumptions  are  treated  with  contempt  by  any  one, 
77ialice  is  seen  to  work  its  snaky  evolutions  along  their  features, 
when  thoughts  of  revenge  become  the  happiness  of  the  mind. 
Many  instances  of  this  kind  have  arisen  from  time  to  time  all 
alons:,  since  the  time  of  our  Lord,  of  men  setting  themselves  up  as 
Messiahs  :  even  within  a  few  years,  there  was  a  wretch  of  this 
sort  in  Ohio,  who  claimed  to  be  Christ,  and  seduced  quite  a 
number  of  the  inhabitants  to  follow  him,  and  to  believe  in  him 
for  a  time. 

We  have  said  before,  that  all  transactions  among  men  are  car- 
ried on  by  spiritual  influence,  one  mams  mind  operating  on 
another,  while  all  the  limbs  and  organization  of  the  body,  are  in 
ignorance  of  what  is  passing.  In  this  way  one  man  begets,  or 
implants  his  likeness  in  the  mind  of  another,  that  is,  the  likeness 
of  his  thoughts  or  opinions.  Now,  if  the  very  image  of  one  per- 
son^ opinions  can  be  infused,  or  in  any  way  implanted  in  anoth- 
er, or  in  thousands,  so  as  to  have  an  abiding  influence,  who  is 
prepared  to  say  that  spirits,  good  or  bad,  if  permitted,  cannot  do 
as  much,  or  more.  As  the  form  of  spirits  is  no  interruption  to 
their  passing  through  solids  as  easily  as  through  open  space,  as 
they  are  immaterial  not  tangible,  any  more  than  is  thought ; 
how  easily,  therefore,  if  permitted,  could  an  evil  spirit  enter  the 
heart  and  brain  of  a  human  being,  and  there  abide,  giving  tone 
and  direction  to  all  their  actions  at  times,  by  influencing  the 
mind  to  operate  on  the  nerves,  by  which  actions,  words  and 
thoughts  should  become  extravagant  and  supernatural,  or  out  of 
the  common  order  of  human  conduct.  Evil  spirits  are  beings, 
and  therefore  are  continually  somewhere,  and  that  somewhere 
is  their  location,  and  if  that  location  is  sometimes  in  the  brain  of 
a  human  being,  distraction  of  some  sort  is  sure  to  be  effected. 
It  was  no  doubt  in  this  way  the  devils,  being  intangible,  and 
having  permission,  entered  into  the  brains  of  the  swine,  so  as  to 
have  the  power  to  cause  them  to  run  into  the  saa.  But  there  is, 
no  doubt,  a  vast  difference  to  be  made  between  such  demoniacal 
possessions  and  those  who  by  arts,  known  to  some,  evoke  and 
command  the  services  of  evil  spirits  :  as  in  the  latter  case,  the 
person  having  and  vising  such  an  art,  is  the  controller,  while  in 
the  former  the  evil  spirit  i>  the  one  who  rules. 


414  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

We  think,  therefore,  that  the  manner  by  which  a  devil  may 
enter  into  a  man,  is  plainly  enough  stated  and  settled  in  the  New 
Testament,  to  have  been  by  simply  entering  in,  as  easily  as  they 
can  go  any  where  else,  if  allowed ;  which,  for  reasons  un- 
searchable, have  often  been  permitted,  or  Scripture  and  history 
are  both  false  on  this  subject.  Were  it  not  for  the  invisible 
providence  of  God,  this  same  Satan,  with  his  angels  would  in- 
stantly enter  in,  derange  and  destroy,  the  whole  human  race ; 
and  the  cases  where  evil  spirits  have  taken  the  possession 
of  any  one,  were  doubtless,  in  most  casesr  sueh  as  had  by  a 
course  of  inward  wickedness,  caused  the  Holy  Spirit  to  with- 
draw his  protecting  as  well  as  his  gracious  influence ;  so 
that  devils  being  permitted  to  have  the  possession,  did  actually 
enter,  and  torment  such  victims  of  their  own  folly,  as  in  a  mul- 
titude of  places  in  the  New  Testament  are  spoken  of. 

Bat  to  conclude  on  this  subject,  we  give  the  belief  of  that  emi- 
nent and  holy  man,  Adam  Clarke,  on  the  subject  of  spirits,  and 
of  the  possibility  of  acquaintance  with  them,  and  of  their  ability 
to  appear  to  men.  See  his  comment  on  1st  Samuel,  xxviii, 
15,  on  the  subject  of  the  woman  of  Endor,  as  follows  :  1st. 
"I  believe  there  is  a  supernatural  and  spiritual  world,  in 
which  human  spirits,  both  good  and  bad,  live  in  a  state  of  con- 
sciousness. 2d.  I  believe  there  is  an  invisible  world,  in  which 
various  orders  of  spirits,  not  human,  good  and  bad,  live  and  act. 
3d.  I  believe  that  any  of  these  spirits,  may,  according  to  the 
order  of  God,  in  the  laws  of  their  place  of  residence,  have  inter- 
course with  this  world,  and  become  visible  to  mortals.  4th.  I 
believe  there  is  a  possibility,  by  arts  not  strictly  good,  to  evoke 
and  have  intercourse  with  spirits  not  human  ;  and  to  employ, 
in  a  certain  limited  way,  their  power  and  influence.  5th.  I  be- 
lieve that  the  woman  of  Endor  had  no  power  over  the  spirit  of 
Samuel  the  prophet ;  nor  that  any  incantation  can  avail,  over 
any  departed  saint  of  God,  nor  indeed  over  any  human  spirit 
whatever." 


Attributes  of  Satan,  and  Evil  Spirits. 

But  as  to  Satan,  and  his  demon  coadjutors,  what  are  their 
powers  and  attributes  ?  are  they  everywhere  present  or  not, 
which  some  incline  to  believe  ?  This  is  impossible,  as  there 
can  be  but  one  everywhere  present  being,  and  that  is  God. 
How  is  it  then,  as  some  may  enquire  ;  as  Satan  appears  to  be 
everywhere  present  by  being  a  universal  tempter  to  evil  ?  This 
is  probably  the  secret  of  it :  the  heart  of  man  is  Satan's  repre- 
sentative ;  and  has,  ever  since  the  fall  of  Adam,  been  his  faithful 


ANGELS  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES.  41r» 

representative,  by  way  of  depravity ;  and  were  that  being,  with 
all  his  associate  fallen  spirits,  at  a  blow  of  the  Almighty  hand, 
swept  out  of  being,  yet  men  would  continue  sinners ;  because 
they  have  naturally  bad  and  corrupt  natures,  even  from  infancy, 
tending  thitherward.  But  it  is  our  opinion,  that  wore  there  no 
Satan  nor  subordinate  spirits  of  that  description,  that  the  world 
would  not  witness  so  many  violent  acts  of  wickeness  as  it  now 
does — deeds  of  horror,  as  in  some  cases,  which  seems  to  exceed 
the  capabilities  of  mam 

But  although  Satan,  or  any  of  the  fallen  angels,  are  not 
omnipresent,  yet  they  are  spirits ;  and  as  such,  possess  the 
power  of  inconceivable  swiftness,  so  that  the  circuit  of  the  earth 
can  probably  be  made  by  them  in  a  few  minutes.  But  notwith- 
standing this,  the  Scripture  settles  the  point,  that  Satan  moves  over 
the  earth  leisurely  and  at  his  will,  seeking  opportunities  of  moral 
ruin  ;  see  1st  Peter,  v.  8,  who  says,  "Be  sober,  be  vigilant,  because 
your  adversary,  the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion  walketh  about,  seek- 
ing whom  he  may  devour/7  And  also,  Job,  ii.  2,  where  it  is 
seen  that  Satan's  answer  to  the  interogation  of  the  Almighty, 
respecting  from  whence  he  came,  was  that, "  from  going  to  and 
fro  in  the  earth,  and  from  walking  up  and  down  in  it." 

But  how  do  we  prove  that  spirits  can  pass  swiftly  from  one 
place  to  another  ?  We  prove  it  from  Daniel,  ix.  21,  who  says 
that  while  he  was  speaking  in  prayer,  the  man  Gabriel,  who 
was  a  spirit  or  angel,  flew  swiftly,  and  touched  him  about  the 
time  of  the  evening  oblation.  But  from  whence  did  he  fly  ? 
We  cannot  tell ;  but  most  certainly  from  some  place  in  immen- 
sity of  space ;  perhaps  from  heaven  itself,  on  this  errand  to  pious 
Daniel.  That  Satan  can  pass  swiftly  from  one  part  of  space  to 
another,  is  more  than  intimated  by  the  New  Testament,  which 
says  that  Satan  is  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air,  the  region 
in  which  speed  by  flight  is  performed.  So  that  if  he  will,  he 
can  visit  any  quarter  or  particular  part  of  the  earth  or  the  plan- 
ets, as  speedily  as  he  may  desire,  and  from  thence  away,  or  can 
remain,  as  the  interests  of  his  kingdom  may  require. 

Who  does  not  know  with  what  amazing  velocity  a  thought 
can  travel,  and  how  much  it  can  review  in  a  few  moments?  and 
that  it  has  only  to  think  of  the  most  distant  regions  of  the  far 
heavens,  when  lo  it  is  there,  and  as  quickly  as  far  away  in  some 
other  direction,  if  it  will  ?  Now  allowing  that  Satan  has  as 
much  power  in  this  respect,  as  the  mind  of  man,  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  ascribing  to  him  and  to  his  subordinate  spirits,  a  suffi- 
cient degree  of  omnipresence  for  all  the  purposes  of  his  evil 
nature,  and  to  bear  out  the  Scriptures  in  their  incidental  state- 
ments of  his  power  and  attributes  to  do  evil,  and  to  superintend 
the  affairs  of  his  kingdom,  in  opposition  to  God  and  his  Christ. 
We  have  no  doubt  he  can  descend  into  the  earth — as  all  evil 
spirits  can — and  return  when  he  will ;  or  pass  through  any 


416  HISTORY  OF  THE  FALLEN 

globe  of  the  universe,  as  substances  are  no  objection  to  the  pro- 
gress of  spirits. 

But  there  is  another  advantage  which  Satan  has,  besides  that 
of  tire  power  of  velocity;  which  is.  there  are  multitudes  of  fallen 
spirits  like  himself,  but  inferior  to  Satan,  and  various  among 
themselves,  as  to  intellectual  powers,  who  are  at  his  command, 
and  do  his  will,  so  far  as  their  power  extends.  That  he  is  a 
king,  is  shown  from  Rev.  ix.  11,  "And  they  (the  inhabitants  of 
hell,)  had  a  king  over  them,  which  is  the  angel  of  the  bottom- 
less pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in 
the  Greek  hath  his  name  Apollyon":  both  of  which  names  signi- 
fy a  destroyer.  If  then  he  is  a  king,  or  a  prince,  as  he  is  fre- 
quently called  in  the  New  Testament,  he  must  of  necessity  have 
subjects,  and  lavis,  by  which  they  are  governed,  who  are  no 
doubt  the  fallen  angels,  who  fell  from  heaven  at  the  same  time 
with  himself.  But  what  those  laws  are,  is  unknown  to  mortals, 
as  they  belong  to  the  invisible  mysteries  of  eternity ;  but  no  doubt 
consist  in  part  of  schemes,  plans,  and  stratagems,  by  which  to 
injure  the  creatures  of  God,  who  are  endowed  with  the  gift  of 
free  agency,  as  well  as  of  intellectual  powers. 

That  good  spirits  are  engaged  in  aiding  man's  happiness,  as 
well  as  that  bad  spirits  are  equally  engaged  to  produce  contrary 
effects,  is  shown  from  the  Bible ;  see  Dan.  x.  13.  and  onward,  <:  But 
the  prince  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia  withstood  me  one  and  twen- 
ty days  ;  but  lo,  Michael,  one  of  the  chief  princes,  came  to  help 
me,  and  now  1  am  come  to  make  thee  understand  what  shall 
befal  thy  people  in  the  latter  days."  But  this  is  not  the  only  in- 
stance which  can  be  brought  as  proof  that  good  and  bad  angels 
contend  about  the  affairs  of  men ;  sec  St.  Jude,  9th  verse,  where 
is  an  account  of  the  contention  which  took  place  about  the  body 
of  Moses,  between  Michael,  the  same  arch-angel  mentioned 
above,  and  Satan.  But  why  single  out  those  two  instances, 
when  the  whole  Bible  is  full  of  accounts  to  this  effect,  by  which 
it  appears  that  heaven  and  hell  are  in  constant  conflict  on  mans 
account,  each  addressing  themselves  to  man's  free  agency,  the 
one  for  his  salvation,  the  other  for  his  ruin. 

But  the  reason  why  Satan  delights  himself  in  the  work  of  our 
ruin,  is  because  man  is  a  creature  of  God,  an  intellectual  being, 
having  in  this  sense  the  image  of  God  in  some  degree,  by  which 
the  evil  one  is  gratified,  and  in  a  manner  revenged  for  his  loss 
of  heaven ;  and  because  it  is  also  the  direct  operation  of  his  very 
nature,  now  that  he  is  fallen,  and  shipwrecked  of  all  the  excel- 
lencies he  was  in  possion  of  in  heaven.  From  which  it  is  easy 
to  perceive  how  the  devil  is  a  universal  tempter  ;  which  we  have 
said  is,  first,  himself,  second,  by  the  assistance  of  associate  spirits, 
and  third,  by  the  fallen  nature  of  man,  which  is  by  far  the  most 
efficient  aid  to  his  purposes  in  the  earth  ;  which  are  counteracted 
only  by  faith  in  tho  blood  and  merits  of  Jesus  Christ. 


ANGELS  OF  THH   fCRIPTUREI.  417 

Evidence  of  Polycarp,  the    Martyr,  against    Universalis?*) 
in  Relation  to  a  Hell,  after  Death. 

Universalists  vainly  boast  that  all  the  apostles,  disciples,  and 
first  Christians  of  the  first  age  of  Christianity,  believed  as  they 
do,  about  the  universal  and  unconditional  happiness  of  all  the 
human  race,  after  death.  But  how  should  they  bow  their  heads 
in  confusion,  and  hide  their  faces  for  shame,  when  they  read  the 
sentiments  uttered  by  the  martyr  Polycarp,  to  the  pro-consul  of 
Tragan — the  emperor  of  Rome,  at  that  time — when  he  was 
about  to  be  burnt,  because  he  was  a  Christian.  What  does  he 
say  in  that  awful  hour,  when  his  faith  was  about  to  be  put  to 
the  severest  test,  by  torture  ;  when  the  pro-consul  threatened  to 
burn  him  alive  if  he  would  not  swear  by  the  genius  of  the  Em- 
peror, and  blaspheme  Christ,  the  crucified  ?  He  replied  :  "  You 
threaten  me  with  fire,  which  bums  for  a  moment,  and  will 
soon  be  extinguished ;  but  alas,  you  arc  ignorant  of  the  judg- 
ment to  come,  and  of  the  fire  of  everlasting  torments,  reserved 
for  the  ungodly T 

No  man  will  pretend,  that  Polycarp  meant,  by  the  words 
"judgment  to  come,-''  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  as  that 
had  happened  sometime  before  Polycarp's  death.  What  fire  of 
everlasting  torments  did  Polycarp  refer  to,  in  that  speech  to  the 
pro-consul  ?  Certainly,  to  no  event  which  could  happen  in  this 
life.  It  could  not  have  been  the  fire  of  salvation  so  often  alluded 
to  in  this  work,  as  believed  in,  by  Ballou,  which  he  has  partly 
discarded  in  the  Preface  of  his  work.  It  could  not  have  been 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  :  as  the  ungodly  of  that  time  could 
not  be  effected  by  it,  in  a  way  of  torment.  There  is  no  way  to 
understand  him,  but  of  the  damnation  of  hell,  after  death,  when 
the  ungodly  are  to  go  into  a  fire  of  everlasting  torments,  as  tho 
martyr  has  called  it. 

That  this  was  the  universal  belief  of  the  Asiatic  Christians,  at 
that  time,  which  was  but  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  years 
after  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  is  shown  from  the  fact  that  Poly- 
carp was  the  great  teacher  of  the  Churches,  by  his  writings  and 
preaching,  in  that  quarter  of  the  globe ;  and  that  this  was  the 
fact,  is  shown  from  the  acclamations  of  the  multitude  when  they 
burnt  him,  who  cried  aloud.  ;i  This  is  the  great  doctor  of  Asia, 
the  father  of  the  Christ talis  ;  this  is  the  destroyer  of  our  gods, 
who  hath  taught  men  not  to  offer  sacrifices,  nor  to  worship 
them?  And  to  prove  this  was  die  belief  of  the  writers  of  the 
New  Testament,  if  such  proof  is  required,  more  than  their  own 
statements  in  their  writings,  we  have  only  to  recollect  that  this 
same  Polycarp  was  a  disciple  of  St.  John,  the  Revelator,  of 
whom  lie  learnt  this  ^reat  doctrine.  John,  the  Revelator,  lived 
till  nearly  the  end  of  the  first  century,  with  whom  Polycarp  had 


418  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

been  acquainted  from  his  youth,  a  lapse  of  about  thirty-eight 
years.  This  we  make  out  from  Eusebius,  one  of  the  early  wri- 
ters of  ecclesiastical  history  ;  who  says  that  Polycarp  died  aged 
ninety-five,  and  that  lie  died  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  166  ;  which 
would  make  their  acquaintance  about  thirty-eight  years,  as  St, 
John  died  about  the  year  A.  D.  100 ;  see  Eusebius,  page  146. 

What  are  Universalists  to  do  with  this  witness  against  them  ? 
by  whom  we  prove,  that  in  the  first  age  of  Christianity  the  doc- 
trine of  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  finally  impenitent  in  hell 
in  eternity,  was  believed  in ;  because  they  so  read  and  so  under- 
stood the  Bible  on  that  subject,  and  especially  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  of  no  importance  for  them  to  cite  the  writings  of 
Origen,  a  man  of  great  importance  as  a  heretic,  who  was  not 
born  till  about  twenty  years  after  the  death  of  Polycarp,  but  who 
it  is  true,  did  not  believe  the  orthodox  doctrine  on  this  subject. 
We  say  it  is  of  no  importance  that  this  writer  believed  a  con- 
trary opinion,  because  the  opinion  came  into  being  too  late  to 
give  it  force  and  influence,  as  those  opinions  nearest  the  foun- 
tain are  the  most  to  be  relied  on.  Origen  was  a  great  critic,  and 
a  scholar  in  the  languages,  but  of  no  importance  as  a  spiritual 
or  orthodox  teacher.  Origen's  opinions  were  considered  here- 
sies, and  were  opposed  by  the  orthodox  church  for  many  ages, 
the  same  as  they  are  now  opposed  in  the  Arians,  Socinians,  and 
Universalists,  by  the  orthodox  of  the  present  times ;  and  came 
up  too  late  to  claim  fellowship  with  the  primitive  belief  of  the 
first  Christians. 


Proofs  of  the  Immortality  of  the  Human  Soul. 

That  the  souls  of  the  human  race  die  at  the  time  the  body 
dies,  is  unreasonable  and  unnecessary,  as  well  as  contrary  to 
Scripture.  It  is  unreasonable,  inasmuch  as  there  appears  to  be 
no  use  in  such  a  procedure ;  for  it  may  be  enquired,  of  what 
importance  can  it  be  that  the  soul  should  die  with  the  body,  and 
thus  leave  a  blank  in  its  being  of  some  thousands  of  years  before 
the  resurrection  of  the  bodies  ?  It  it  unnecessary ;  for  the  same 
reason  that  it  is  unreasonable.  There  can  arise  out  of  such  a 
circumstance,  no  developement  of  Divine  wisdom,  toward  the 
furtherance  of  human  happiness  ;  as  we  can  easily  perceive 
there  does  in  the  death  of  the  body,  now  that  its  companion,  the 
soul,  has  become  a  sinner  ;  as  we  have  hinted  in  another  place, 
in  this  work.  It  is  contrary  to  Scripture,  direct  to  the  point,  as 
well  as  contrary  to  fair  inference,  in  many  places  in  that  book. 
The  fact  that  God  breathed  in  the  nostrils  of  Adam,  the  breath 


ANGEL9    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  4l# 

o(  life ;  and  of  his  becoming  therefore  a  living  soul,  is  proof 
direct  to  the  point.  See  Gen.  1st  chapter.  The  reason  we  con- 
sider this  a  proof  of  the  undying  nature  of  the  soul  of  man,  is 
because  the  same  word,  living-,  is  applied  to  God,  who  is  called 
the  living  God,  who,  no  person  believes,  can  ever  die. 

That  the  soul  lives,  after  being  separated  from  the  earth,  is 
shown  from  several  passages  of  the  Bible,  which  we  proceed  to 
give  to  the  inspection  of  the  reader  ;  as  follows  :  "And  Enoch 
walked  with  God,  and  he  was  not ;  for  God  took  him." — 
Gen.  v.  24.  Concerning  this  it  is  said  by  St.  Paul,  that 
11  Enoch  by  faith  was  translated,  that  he  should  not  see  (or  taste 
of)  death  ;  and  was  not  found,  because  God  had  translated 
him."  Now,  if  he  did  not  die,  as  St.  Paul  states,  it  follows  that 
he  is  not  dead,  either  body  or  soul ;  as  it  is  not  likely  that  his 
soul  would  die,  while  his  body  should  be  kept  alive.  We  there- 
fore, think  that  we  prove  by  this,  that  there  is  at  least,  one  im- 
mortal soul,  of  the  human  race,  if  no  more.  The  case  of  Elijah, 
the  Tishbite,  is  similar  to  the  one  above  ;  who  was  also  transla- 
ted without  passing  through  death  ;  see  2d  book  of  Kings  ii.  11. 
Now  that  the  soul  of  Elijah,  the  prophet,  did  not  die,  and  is  not 
now  dead,  is  shown  from  his  appearing  on  the  Mount,  of  trans- 
figuration, to  Peter,  James,  and  John,  who  heard  him  converse 
with  Christ.  Also,  that  the  souls  of  men  do  not  die  when  their 
bodies  die,  we  show  from  the  appearance  of  the  soul  of  Moses, 
at  the  same  time  with  Elijah,  on  the  Mount ;  who  also  was 
heard  to  converse  with  the  Saviour. 

But  to  settle  this  question,  we  give  the  two  following  Scrip- 
ture accounts,  which  to  us,  is  irresislable  testimony  that  the  soul 
lives  in  a  state  of  as  perfect  consciousness,  as  it  does  while  con- 
nected with  its  companion,  the  body,  in  this  life.  See  St.  Luke, 
xxiii.  43,  where  an  account  of  a  certain  conversation  which  took 
place  between  the  Saviour  and  one  of  the  malefactors  with  him 
on  the  cross  :  "  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee, 
to-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise."  This  he  said  to  the 
thief,  because  he  had  believed  on  him — had  repented  of  his  sins, 
and  on  the  cross  was  born  again,  and  had  in  his  agony,  prayed 
to  the  Messiah,  to  be  remembered  \v hen  he  should  come  into  his 
invisible  kingdom,  in  another  world,  after  death.  Now  as  the 
thief's  body  was  not  taken  away  from  the  earth,  but  was  disposed 
of  according  to  the  rites  of  sepultre,  belonging  to  executed  crim- 
inals ;  andlhat  it  could  not  go  from  Jerusalem,  where  it  died,  it 
follows,  that  when  the  thief  prayed,  saying  "remember  we," 
<fcc,  that  he  meant  his  soul,  by  the  word  me,  and  that  Christ 
meant  the  same  thing  by  the  word  thou  ,•  as  he  said  :  "  To  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise." 

Our  next  and  last  evidence,  (though  we  could  bring  many 
more  passages  of  Scripture  in  support  of  the  opinion.)  is  founcl 
Rev.  vi.  0.  10,  "And  when  h^  (the  anrreV)  hnd  opened  the  fifth- 


420  HISTORY    OF    THE    FALLEN 

seal,  I  saw  (says  St.  John,)  under  the  alter,  the  soids  of  them 
that  were  (the  bodies.)  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the 
testimony  which  they  held  :  and  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saying,  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge 
and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth.  And 
white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them  ;  and  it  was  said 
unto  them  that  they  should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their 
fellow  servants  also,  and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as 
they  were,  should  be  fulfilled."  Here  it  is  plainly  stated,  that 
the  soul  is  a  living  conscious  being,  whether  in  the  body  or  out 
of  it,  or  it  could  not  be  said  of  them  as  above  shown,  that  they 
cried  with  a  loud  voice  to  God,  and  that  white  robes  was  given 
to  every  one  of  them,  which  marks  their*  happy  condition, 
though  they  evidently  disapprove  of  the  manner  they  were  cut 
off  from  the  earth,  by  the  revilers  of  their  most  holy  faith.  Rev. 
xxi.  8,  9,  furnishes  proof  that  the  soul  lives  on,  though  the  body 
dies ;  for  when  St.  John  was  about  to  fall  down  arid  worship  the 
angel  who  had  showed  him  so  much,  the  angel  said,  "  see  thou 
do  it  not,  for  1  am  thy  fellow  servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the 
Prophets,"  and  of  necessity  had  once  lived  on  the  earth,  or  he 
could  not  have  been  one  of  the  prophets ;  but  which  of  them  ? 
There  is  none  that  can  tell,  though  it  has  been  conjectured  to 
have  been  the  soul  of  the  prophet  Daniel. 

We  believe,  however,  that  the  idea  of  the  death  of  the  soul 
was  invented  by  Universalists,  in  order  to  give  God  a  o-ood 
chance  to  make  all  such  persons  holy,  as  may  or  have  died  in 
their  sins,  at  the  general  resurrection ;  yet  there  is  no  need  of 
this,  as  God  could  as  easily,  at  the  hour  or  moment  of  dissolu- 
tion or  death,  have  arbitrarily  made  them  thus,  as  to  wait  till  the 
resurrection.  But  to  sum  up  the  whole  matter  and  end  the 
work,  Universalists  seem  to  think  that  God  governs  the  universe 
of  moral  existences  by_  physical  strength,  the  same  as  a  man 
would  turn  round  a  grind-stone ;  on  which  account  they  seem 
to  expect  that  he  will  turn  his  affairs  over  and  over,  so  as  exactly 
to  suit  himself;  and  being  infinitely  good,  as  well  as  infinitely 
powerful,  will  therefore  bring  the  whole  human  race,  some  how 
or  other  to  heaven,  safe  and  sound.  But  to  this  we  reply,  that 
if  he  governs  in  this  way,  he  would,  from  his  own  infinite  good- 
ness and  power )  have  prevented  the  occurrence  of  sin  and  moral 
evil  altogether,  if  he  does  not  like  it;  and  that  he  does  not 
is  shown  from  Habakkuk,  i.  13,  "Thou  art  of  purer  eyes  than 
to  behold  evil,  (sin,)  and  cannot  look  on  iniquity"  with  allow- 
ance ;  and  that  he  does  not,  is  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Bible; 
consequently  God  is  not  the  author  of  moral  evil,  but  erring  free 
agents  only. 

THE     END. 


') 


